The Seattle Seahawks are feeling positive in 21 of the 22 positions on their team. Their last position question remains at the quarterback position. They are entering a 2022 NFL season where they feel they can compete for an NFC playoff spot. The biggest key to their success this upcoming season is their confidence in their roster. Seattle will have several confident players to lead their team to a potentially successful season. There are other players they feel have a breakout season this upcoming 2022 NFL season. There are four players the Seahawks feel they can have a breakout season with two of them on both sides of the ball. Here are the potential breakout stars for the Seattle Seahawks in 2022.
READ MORE: Seahawks Rookie Report
Potential Breakout Players for the Seattle Seahawks in 2022
Running Back Rashaad Penny
There are a lot of questions regarding the passing game between Geno Smith and Drew Lock. There are also serious questions if Chris Carson will ever return to the football field with a neck injury. These questions open opportunities for former first-round pick Rashaad Penny to validate his potential with the Seahawks. If Penny remains healthy, Penny could eclipse 1,000 rushing yards this 2022 NFL season. Last season, Penny rushed for 749 yards and six touchdowns on 119 carries (all career-high in the NFL). He averaged 6.3 yards per carry this past season. The biggest problem with Penny is his health with nagging injuries. If Penny stays healthy, he could be the instant go-to option for the Seahawks’ offense on a revamped offensive line. He has the potential and the talent to be the best running back in the NFC West.
Linebacker Jordyn Brooks
Jordyn Brooks did not have the big rookie season in 2020 that Seahawks fans wanted as a former first-rounder. They got a bigger taste of his potential as a full-time starter this past season. Brooks accounted for 184 total tackles, 109 solo tackles, ten tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, five pass breakups, and one fumble recovery. With Bobby Wagner gone and the Seahawks transitioning to a 3-4 defensive front, Brooks takes over their defense as the leader. There is still room for improvement for Brooks as an all-around inside linebacker. This past season, he was sent on 46 blitzes and only pressured the quarterback three times. Brooks allowed 80.2% of completions on his targets and allowed four touchdowns. Most of the completions were short gains, but Brooks is willing to learn to be more effective. He could be a problem for opposing offenses soon.
Defensive End Darrell Taylor
The Seahawks tried out many pass rushers this past season to see who would be the most consistent. While several stood out, one pass rusher they didn’t expect consistency from was Darrell Taylor. After missing out on injuries in his 2020 rookie season, Taylor climbed the depth chart. Taylor accounted for 37 total tackles, 28 solo tackles, 13 quarterback hits, seven tackles for loss, seven sacks, and one forced fumble. He is the only defensive end returning to the Seahawks who accounted for more than two sacks. The Seahawks will look to Taylor and newcomer Shelby Harris as their main defensive ends with their new 3-4 defense. Seattle expects more responsibilities from Taylor as he looks to transcend himself into a Pro Bowl-caliber player. His first goal will be to become the team’s leading sacker and surpass double-digit sacks.
Tight End Noah Fant
As the door closed on the relationship between quarterback Russell Wilson and the Seahawks, another door opened for three players they got in the trade, including Lock, Harris, and tight end Noah Fant. The Seahawks have big expectations for Fant, who enters his fourth year in the league. In three years with the Denver Broncos, Fant caught 170 receptions for 1,905 yards and ten touchdowns. The Seahawks look to take pressure off the deep-passing game with D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Fant can be that dynamic tight end they can rely on for run-blocking and multiple passing routes.
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