Where Pete Carroll expects Seahawks to have position battles

The Seattle Seahawks are in a pretty good spot.

Not only is head coach Pete Carroll’s team coming off a surprising playoff season in 2022, but the Hawks’ NFL Draft haul came with a little extra for the second straight year following the blockbuster Russell Wilson trade to the Denver Broncos.

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The Seahawks made 10 selections in the draft less than two weeks ago, including a No. 5 pick that was the highest Carroll and general manager John Schneider have ever selected from in their decade-plus in Seattle, and four picks in the first two rounds total.

That means the Seahawks have a lot of talent as they gear up for their offseason program, which Carroll addressed when he joined Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Thursday for a special offseason edition of The Pete Carroll Show.

What are the Seattle Seahawks’ position battles?

Carroll was asked about the positions where he expects to see the toughest competitions for regular roles. If you know anything about Carroll’s reputation, his initial response should come as no surprise.

“Well, the running back spot is one. That’s going to be really interesting,” he said.

The Hawks bring back starter Kenneth Walker III, a standout as a rookie in 2022, and third-down back DeeJay Dallas, who is entering his third pro season. But Seattle made two notable additions in the draft at running back, taking UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet with the second of their two second-round picks, then adding Kenny McIntosh from the national champion Georgia Bulldogs in the seventh round.

Alright, where else will there be position battles?

“I’m anxious to see what happens at guard and center,” Carroll said. “You know, that’s a live competition now.”

Seattle picked up Evan Brown, a veteran with experience at both of those spots on the offensive line, as a free agent early this offseason. The Hawks have also re-signed guard Phil Haynes and drafted guard Anthony Bradford (LSU, fourth round) and center Olu Oluwatimi (Michigan, fifth round).

“We got two guys coming in that could start, and that’s possible,” Carroll said. “We could see that happen, but they got a long ways to go to get that. They’re gonna have to battle guys. Really fired up about Evan Brown, he’s looked really good for us in these early days of running our Phase 2 stuff, getting us going. Phil Haynes is ready to be a starter. He wants to own that spot, too.”

Carroll also said that the top Seattle Seahawks draft pick, Illinois cornerback Devon Witherspoon, isn’t walking into a guaranteed starting spot.

“We’ll see what what happens at the corner spot. Mike Jackson ain’t giving up his spot, Tariq (Woolen) is not giving up his spot – they’re gonna go battle… Coby (Bryant) is fighting for his his time. It’s gonna be really exciting to see how this goes.”

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Finally, Carroll pointed to Seattle’s other second-round selection as someone who will be in the mix for playing time in the pass rush.

“Derick Hall, let’s see what he brings. You know, he’s got something for us,” he said.

Listen to the full Brock and Salk conversation with Carroll in the podcast below.

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