It may seem like we only ever aggregate articles that disrespect the Seattle Seahawks, but that’s only because fans react more strongly to negative engagement than positive engagement. Here’s an example of some positive engagement I’m sure Seahawks fans can not only enjoy but agree with.
ESPN recently ranked every NFL team based on young talent, more specifically players under 25 years old. This is based on snaps played, games started, quality of play, contract length, and other factors. The Seahawks
were already high up the list last year coming in at No. 10, but they’ve skyrocketed up the rankings and find themselves only behind the Houston Texans in 2025.
2024 ranking: 10
Blue-chip players: CB Devon Witherspoon, DT Byron Murphy II, WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Notable graduated players: None
The Seahawks climb eight spots on our list for a few reasons. First, 23-year-old Smith-Njigba had a breakout 2024 season, catching 100 passes for 1,130 yards and six touchdowns. Second, they drafted a young quarterback in Jalen Milroe — and even young quarterbacks from the third round have value here. And third, they added a whole year of draft picks without having any important players age out of consideration for this list.
Other than Smith-Njigba, the best of the Seahawks’ young players is 24-year-old slot cornerback Witherspoon. In his first two seasons, Witherspoon has recorded 177 tackles, 4 sacks and 25 passes defensed. The rest of the young defense includes last year’s first-round pick, 22-year-old Murphy, as well as 24-year-old edge rusher Derick Hall and 21-year-old second-round rookie safety Nick Emmanwori.
The Seahawks also have more youth on offense with 24-year-old running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, plus the left side of the offensive line, where left tackle Charles Cross and left guard rookie Grey Zabel are both under age 25.
Perhaps that is part of why John Schneider got that contract extension.
We’ve been here before with the Seahawks, who built their Super Bowl team and long-term window of contention off the back of transformational drafts (plus undrafted gems) from 2010-2012. Earl Thomas, Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor, Bobby Wagner, K.J. Wright, Russell Wilson, Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin, and Russell Okung were among the key pieces of Seattle’s prime years.
It’s a bit much to ask for a carbon copy of that formula in 2025, but if the Seahawks are to become contenders again, continuing to find (and retain) young talent is the most well-traveled path to the top.
If the widely praised 2025 class, headlined by Grey Zabel, Nick Emmanwori, Elijah Aaroyo, and Jalen Milroe, can live up to the hype right away? Then that raises the ceiling of the Seahawks in the immediate and the long-term.
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- Matthew Stafford is going through some stuff
- Boye Mafe limited, Ken Walker does not practice for Seahawks Thursday
- Pete Carroll thinks Seahawks crowd will ‘know exactly what to do’ when Russell Wilson returns
- Field Gulls predicts the 2022 Seahawks season
