Unlike most Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks had most of their starters return to defend their crown. That makes it particularly tough for bubble-roster guys to carve out a role, and it allows the coaching staff and front office to be much more intentional about every move.
Standing out from the rest of the pack is a tall order in Mike Macdonald's team, but that's not impossible. If anything, it only makes the hardest-working guys look even better when they manage to catch people's attention in these seemingly meaningless games.
Losing 16-19 at home is never ideal, but the preseason is about much more than the final score. Considering that, let's take a look at the four brightest spots from the Seahawks' Week 2 loss to the Tennessee Titans.
4 Seattle Seahawks players who turned heads in Week 2 of the preseason
Chris Paul Jr.
While he may not be the best Chris Paul in pro sports, this one at least has a ring. All jokes aside, the 2025 Los Angeles Rams draft pick was everywhere on defense in the first half, finishing with a game-high six tackles (four solo).
Paul wrapped up Tyjae Spears on fourth down to force a turnover on downs deep into the Titans' territory. He played with the type of energy you'd want to see from a practice squad guy looking to make his way on a stacked linebacker corps.
Of course, he's still a long shot to play unless Ernest Jones IV, Patrick O'Connell, Drake Thomas, and Tyrice Knight get hurt, but watching him hold his own against Titans' starters was definitely an encouraging sign.
Drew Lock
The Seahawks should be locked in at quarterback with Sam Darnold, but we've seen how quickly a promising season can go south with an injury. Drew Lock is taking big leaps to prove that he can be trusted to lead this offense.
Locked stood calm in the pocket and diced up the defense in the first half, completing 12 of 14 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown. It was an absolute 36-yard dot to Elijah Arroyo to secure an early 7-0 lead.
Lock's athleticism and physical traits have always been enticing, though the decision-making and execution have often left plenty to be desired. Clearly, that time on the sidelines has worked wonders for him.
Emmanuel Henderson Jr.
The Seahawks are so stacked that they can afford the luxury of drafting for special teams. Emmanuel Henderson Jr. has been turning heads since he arrived in Seattle, and while he may not play much on offense, he's certainly earned himself a spot on the roster.
In the same game, he returned two kickoffs for 47 yards, had one reception on two targets for seven yards, and had a huge run and tackle from the gunner spot on special teams. He's more than a one-trick pony.
On a negative note, he did fall on Jalen Milroe's second interception, though it's hard to tell whether he slipped or was trying to adjust to secure a poor throw. Regardless, it was a solid, well-rounded performance by the speedster.
Nehemiah Pritchett
The Seahawks are still scrambling for depth at cornerback, so Nehemiah Pritchett certainly needed a good game here. He rose to the occasion with some sticky coverage and even broke up a Titans' play on a WR screen.
Pritchett's inconsistent tackling is the biggest knock on him, but his angles were much better in this game, and he even contributed against the run. He finished the game with three total tackles, the third-most on the team.
He still has a long way to go to pass offseason addition Noah Igbinoghene, who had a big DPI in his limited game action, on the depth chart. Another strong effort like this might at least guarantee him a spot on the roster.
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