Which young Seattle Seahawks stand out to Quandre Diggs?

Aug 1, 2023, 11:21 AM | Updated: 3:51 pm

Editor of SeattleSports.com

Quandre Diggs is a bit of an elder statesman on the Seattle Seahawks’ defense, as the three-time Pro Bowler is entering his fourth full season with the team. With the experience he has both with Seattle and eight total years in the NFL, it’s safe to assume he has a good eye for talent.

Just ask him.

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Diggs joined Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Monday morning from Seahawks headquarters prior to a training camp practice, and he shared his bona fides in identifying young teammates with bright futures.

As Monday marked the first practice of Seahawks camp with pads on, former NFL quarterback and current FOX football analyst Brock Huard asked if Diggs could think of a player who jumped out not just before the pads came on, but perhaps even more when players starting hitting each other.

“I got a great one for you,” Diggs responded.

“So last year, I’ll never forget, K-9 comes out here and he’s going crazy,” Diggs continued, referring to running back Kenneth Walker III, a Seahawks second-round NFL Draft pick in 2022. “I’m like, ‘Hold on, we’re gonna see when these pads come on.’ He comes out here and he’s doing the same thing with pads on, and he’s doing it in the game.”

Walker went on to rush last season for 1,050 yards and nine touchdowns in 15 games, only 11 of which he started, and he was one of three finalists for NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year as a result.

“I knew he was legit from the first day I see him at practice,” Diggs said of Walker. “I’m telling you, it was last year and I remember telling people, I’m like, ‘Bro, we got the best young running back in the NFL.’ … I’m like, ‘You’re gonna see. Just watch No. 9 when he get out there.’ When he got his chance, he went out there and killed it.”

The Seahawks had another finalist for a rookie award last season: Riq Woolen, who was a standout at cornerback and received the same honor on the defensive side as Walker did on offense. And yes, Diggs said he saw Woolen’s special talent early on, too.

“You can see that, you can feel that, and you can tell the guys who’s really in it and really got a chance to be really, really good. I knew that from Riq from the jump,” he said. “When I seen him in training camp, the training camp he was having, I knew he had a shot to be really, really dang good. And, I mean, looks really good to me.”

Quandre the Prognosticator

OK, so if Diggs is that good at recognizing talent, who is jumping out to him in training camp this year?

“I’m excited to see Mike Moore (in pads),” Diggs said.

The 6-foot-6, 295-pound Morris is a defensive end selected in the fifth round out of Michigan by the Seahawks in April’s draft, and he stands out in more ways than one to Diggs.

“He’s been making a lot of plays, he’s a big human, so I’m excited to see him today, for sure. … He’s always smiling. He’s real smiley guy for a big dude, so that kind of throws me off a little bit. But I’m excited to see him.”

Diggs shouted out one more rookie who’s even more under the radar, an undrafted safety from Penn State.

“I’m also excited to see Jonathan Sutherland,” Diggs said. “He’s been making some plays since OTAs, so let’s see.”

Catch the full Brock and Salk conversation with Quandre Diggs in the video at the top of this post, the audio player below, or the podcast at this link.