SEATTLE -- The Seattle Seahawks open the 2023 NFL regular season against the Los Angeles Rams on Sept. 10 at Lumen Field.
Unlike last year, they won't have a quarterback competition to sort out before Week 1. Geno Smith is the undisputed starter, with a Pro Bowl on his resume, a new contract and an improved roster around him.
The Seahawks overhauled the front seven of their defense, and instead of drafting a quarterback to eventually compete with Smith, they gave him some help -- most notably by drafting receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round.
The big remaining question is how much they've closed the talent gap with the San Francisco 49ers, who overpowered them during a three-game sweep last season.
With training camp set to begin on July 26, here's a projection of what Seattle's 53-man roster will look like heading into Week 1:
QUARTERBACK (2): Geno Smith, Drew Lock
This time last year, Smith was battling Lock to replace Russell Wilson. He'll no longer have to share No. 1 reps, which is one reason to be optimistic that he won't regress after his out-of-nowhere Pro Bowl season. Seattle re-signed both quarterbacks and didn't draft one in April, only signing Holton Ahlers as an undrafted rookie. They'll be scouring the waiver wire for upgrades for their practice squad QB.
RUNNING BACK (4): Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, DeeJay Dallas, Kenny McIntosh
Walker is the clear-cut RB1 after a debut season in which he was nominated for Offensive Rookie of the Year, but drafting Charbonnet in the second round suggests the rookie will have a sizable role right away as the RB2. Dallas is a roster lock because of his versatility (special teams, third down, Wildcat). McIntosh also feels like a safe bet even though he's a seventh-round pick. All four are adept pass-catchers. Will the Seahawks finally get their running backs more involved in the passing game?
FULLBACK (1): Nick Bellore
The oldest player on Seattle's roster at 34, the former undrafted free agent has lasted 12 seasons largely because of special teams, where he was a Pro Bowl selection in 2020 and a Seahawks captain the past two years. Bellore, who returned on a two-year deal in February, also provides depth as a backup inside linebacker. He has averaged about one fullback snap per game in Shane Waldron's two seasons as offensive coordinator.
WIDE RECEIVER (5): Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Dee Eskridge, Dareke Young
The Seahawks might have the NFL's best trio of receivers after drafting Smith-Njigba 20th overall. They view him as a plug-and-play chain-mover who will operate primarily from the slot, complementing the deep threats of Lockett and Metcalf. Eskridge's first two seasons have been marred by injuries, but the 2021 second-round pick was a standout in the spring. Jake Bobo is an undrafted rookie who's made a strong impression and could push for a spot on the practice squad.
TIGHT END (3): Will Dissly, Noah Fant, Colby Parkinson
The Seahawks leaned on their tight ends last season, running the second-most plays with at least two of them on the field, according to TruMedia. With Smith-Njigba in the fold, Waldron's offense may shift to favoring packages that feature a third receiver as opposed to an extra tight end. Fant and Parkinson are in contract years, while Dissly will have no more guaranteed money on his big deal after 2023, so it's an important season for all three.
OFFENSIVE LINE (9): Charles Cross, Damien Lewis, Evan Brown, Phil Haynes, Abe Lucas, Olu Oluwatimi, Anthony Bradford, Stone Forsythe, Jake Curhan
The Seahawks ranked eighth in ESPN's pass block win rate last season, despite starting two rookie tackles in Cross and Lucas. Lewis returns at left guard while Haynes, essentially a co-starter last year at right guard, takes that spot over full-time. The one position up for grabs is center, which has been a revolving door in Seattle for the past decade. Brown got most of the first-team reps in the spring after signing a modest deal in free agency, but Oluwatimi -- a fifth-round pick -- will push him for the starting job.
DEFENSIVE LINE (7): Dre'Mont Jones, Jarran Reed, Mike Morris, Mario Edwards Jr., Cameron Young, Myles Adams, Austin Faoliu
With some poor scheme fits and not enough top-end talent, Seattle's D-line badly underperformed in 2022, leading to an overhaul that included an out-of-character splurge on Jones. His three-year, $51.53 million deal represents, by far, the largest APY the Seahawks have given to another team's free agent under John Schneider and Pete Carroll. Young projects as the starting nose tackle while Morris, a fellow Day 3 pick, should play a lot as well. Bryan Mone (knee) is likely to begin the season on PUP.
LINEBACKER (9): Bobby Wagner, Devin Bush, Jon Rhattigan, Vi Jones, Uchenna Nwosu, Darrell Taylor, Derick Hall, Boye Mafe, Tyreke Smith
Jordyn Brooks, coming back from his Jan. 1 ACL tear, begins the season on PUP in this projection. That would require him to miss the first four games and push Bush into the starting lineup at inside linebacker alongside Wagner until Brooks comes back. Wagner, back after one season with the Rams, is an obvious upgrade over Cody Barton, even if he's significantly older and no longer an every-down player. Hall, a second-round pick, will push Taylor and Mafe to start at outside linebacker opposite Nwosu.
CORNERBACK (5): Tariq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, Mike Jackson, Coby Bryant, Tre Brown
The Seahawks haven't had this combination of talent and depth at cornerback since the Legion of Boom days. Woolen, coming off a Pro Bowl rookie season, will be ready by camp following arthroscopic knee surgery. Witherspoon, the fifth overall pick, is an option to play in the slot in nickel situations in addition to starting on the outside. Jackson appeared relegated to the bench when Seattle drafted Witherspoon, but he was the standout of the spring and could serve as the third corner.
SAFETY (5): Quandre Diggs, Julian Love, Joey Blount, Jerrick Reed II, Jonathan Sutherland
Jamal Adams, coming off a torn quad tendon from Week 1 of last season, may also have to start on PUP. In addition to his immediate availability, Adams' future in Seattle beyond 2023 is another uncertainty since he's coming off two down seasons. That's why Seattle signed Love, who gives them a short- and long-term replacement option. Sutherland has stood out more than any other undrafted rookie, even getting some time with the No. 1 defense in the spring as the dime defender.
SPECIALISTS (3): Jason Myers (K), Michael Dickson (P), Chris Stoll (LS)
The Seahawks made Myers the NFL's second-highest-paid kicker when they re-signed him in January. Dickson is the league's top-paid punter. As of now, they're preparing to go young and inexpensive at long-snapper with Stoll, an undrafted rookie. It's a curious approach, as Stoll would only save them less than half a million dollars compared to re-signing their former Pro Bowl snapper, Tyler Ott. He remains unsigned as does Carson Tinker, who took over last season when Ott went down with a shoulder injury.