Analysis: Sam Darnold’s progress and more to watch as Seahawks open camp

SEATTLE – The second year of the Mike Macdonald era and season 50 for the Seahawks take another step with the beginning of training camp Wednesday.

It’s a season in which the Seahawks are not only honoring the past, but hoping to show the present will be worth celebrating as well.

Can Macdonald lead the Seahawks to the playoffs for the first time since 2022 and only the second time since 2020 and further establish himself as a worthy successor to Pete Carroll?

If that’s those are the key questions of this season, the Seahawks have a lot of other issues to address before they can found out the answers.

Here are seven things to watch as camp begins:

How Sam Darnold progresses in Seahawks offense

Darnold is the big X Factor this season. The defense seems primed to build on last year’s solid finish and allow them to be competitive every week.

The question is if Darnold and the offense can uphold their end as the Seahawks move on from Geno Smith, break in a rebuilt receiving corps, and master a new scheme implemented by first-year coordinator Klint Kubiak.

Darnold’s 2024 breakout season with the Vikings gave evidence that maybe he can live up to his status as the third overall pick in the 2018 draft.

Still, doubts remain, based in part on his struggles as a starter with the Jets from 2018-20.

Darnold may not play much in the preseason with his status as the starter secure.

But the Seahawks will hope for a lot of consistent practices – and largely turnover-free ones – for Darnold to gain confidence in the system heading into the season, and for his new teammates to gain the same confidence in him.

How battles on offensive line unfold

The Seahawks enter camp with three sure things on the offensive line – left tackle Charles Cross, right tackle Abraham Lucas and left guard Grey Zabel. If healthy, all three figure to start Week 1.

But battles at center (Olu Oluwatimi/Jalen Sundell) and right guard (Anthony Bradford/Christian Haynes) appear wide open. Macdonald has set no timeline for when starters will be determined, though the Seahawks probably hope to do it by mid-August at the latest so the starting line can begin exclusively working together.

The Seahawks also need to sort out who will play key gameday backup roles (though veteran free-agent signee Josh Jones appears set as the swing backup tackle) as they hope a new system focused on outside zone blocking results in major improvement for the line across the board.

How Seahawks use Nick Emmanwori

Emmanwori, a safety out of South Carolina who was the 35th overall pick in the 2025 draft, is in the fold after agreeing to terms on his four-year rookie contract Thursday.

That means he won’t miss any time as Macdonald continues to assess how best to use him.

Emmanwori spent the offseason program working mostly as a third safety in five- and six-defensive back sets and Macdonald could choose to let him concentrate on that role as a rookie.

Macdonald might give Emmanwori some reps at free and strong safety, and possibly boundary corner, to see how he looks in those spots.

How Jalen Milroe progresses

Macdonald stated in the spring that there is no competition for the starting quarterback job. Drew Lock seemed to have a strong hold on the backup slot in the spring.

That left Milroe working with the No. 3 offense almost exclusively.

That’s where he figures to begin training camp, though the Seahawks might work him in some with the top units during camp to give him experience.

How Milroe performs early could tip the Seahawks’ hand in deciding whether he can help the team in some capacity this season or if this will be regarded as a year of development.

Milroe will undoubtedly get plenty of snaps in the three preseason games to prove himself – and, the team hopes, show they may have a QB of the future .

Assessing receiving corps

For the first time since 2015, there is no Tyler Lockett helping lead the receiving corps. And for the first time since 2019, there is no DK Metcalf as his partner.

Third-year player Jaxon Smith-Njigba is WR1 with 32-year-old veteran free agent Cooper Kupp signed as his starting counterpart.

The Seahawks also signed veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling as an outside deep threat.

Barring something unexpected happening, that will be the Seahawks’ receiving trio entering the season, with the likes of third-year vet Jake Bobo and rookie fifth-round pick Tory Horton set to fill out the gameday receiver corps.

Most important, is that group forging solid chemistry with Darnold and smoothing out any growing pains before the regular season begins with a visit from the 49ers on Sept. 7.

How Shaquill Griffin fits into cornerback corps

The one significant addition the Seahawks made over the summer was bringing back Griffin on a one-year deal to add competition and depth to the cornerback room.

Griffin appears in line to compete with Josh Jobe for the role as the third cornerback behind Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen.

He also figures to play as an outside or boundary cornerback when the team is in nickel or dime formations and Witherspoon moves inside.

Jobe played well to end the 2024 season when he took over at midseason for Tre Brown, so he may not be easy to displace. The Seahawks guaranteed Griffin $1 million of his $1.74 million salary for this season, while Jobe has $300,000 guaranteed (all in a signing bonus), indicating at least some level of commitment to Griffin making the roster.

The addition of Griffin will put more onus on some of the other cornerbacks on the roster, such as 2024 fifth-round pick Nehemiah Pritchett and free-agent signee Shemar Jean-Charles, to earn their spot as the Seahawks may not keep more than five cornerbacks on the initial 53-man roster.

Whether Seahawks sign any veterans to extensions

The Seahawks got Emmanwori and fellow second-round pick Elijah Arroyo under contract this week, meaning all 11 draft picks are signed as camp begins.

The Seahawks might turn their attention to signing a veteran or two to an extension.

The Seahawks have often completed extensions with key players right as camp begins, doing so last year when safety Julian Love signed a three-year, $36 million deal on July 25.

Could it be another safety, Coby Bryant, who is set to make $3.4 million this year in the final season of his four-year rookie deal, getting such a new contract this time?

ESPN hinted at it in a story published Friday, stating “Bryant’s contract situation is one to keep an eye on.”

While the Seahawks have high hopes for Emmanwori’s future and Love is under contract through 2027, Macdonald likes having lots of pieces to work with in the secondary and doing something to assure Bryant stays around a few more years might make sense.