Five Seahawks position battles to watch vs Titans in preseason

The Seattle Seahawks square off against the Tennessee Titans on Saturday in Nashville for the second of their three preseason games.

How Seahawks’ Riq Woolen separates himself from other big CBs

It will be a pivotal game for a number of Seahawks fighting for spots on the 53-man roster, especially given that most starters aren’t expected to play after going up against the Titans in a pair of joint practices on Wednesday and Thursday.

Here’s a look at four roster-spot battles and one potential starting battle to watch on Saturday:

The No. 3 RB battle

Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet are entrenched as the Seahawks’ top two running backs, but there’s a fierce competition right now between Kenny McIntosh and George Holani for the third and possibly final spot on the depth chart.

McIntosh, a 2023 seventh-round pick out of Georgia, missed most of last season after suffering a knee injury during training camp. He showed some nice burst and elusiveness in the preseason opener against the Los Angeles Chargers, rushing for a team-high 40 yards on eight carries and also picking up a first down on a third-down swing pass. However, he missed a block in pass protection that led to a sack.

Holani, an undrafted free agent out of Boise State, also had a strong preseason debut. He rushed for 24 yards and a touchdown on six carries, highlighted by an 11-yard scoring run where he kicked to the outside and raced around the edge to reach the end zone. He also made an impact on special teams with a nice tackle in punt coverage.

McIntosh got the start in the preseason opener, but Holani might have leapfrogged him on the depth chart this week. With Charbonnet sidelined by an injury, Holani consistently took first-team reps alongside Walker during the Seahawks’ joint practice with the Titans on Wednesday, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. McIntosh reportedly practiced with the second-team offense.

The battle for final WR spots

Behind the talented trio of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, it appears second-year pro Jake Bobo has all but locked up the No. 4 wide receiver spot with a standout performance in training camp. After that, there’s a deep battle for the final spots at receiver.

Most teams keep six receivers on their 53-man roster, which would leave two open spots for the Seahawks. Right now, the favorites for those two spots appear to be fifth-year pro Laviska Shenault Jr. and 2022 seventh-round pick Dareke Young. Shenault showed his versatility in the preseason opener by returning a kickoff to the 44-yard line and gaining 31 yards on a pair of wide receiver screens. Young also had a good performance, hauling in three catches for a team-high 44 yards. Young also brings value as a regular on special teams the past two seasons.

Former second-round pick Dee Eskridge, former undrafted free agent Cody White and former WSU Cougars star Easop Winston Jr. also appear to be in the mix, but they would probably need big performances in Seattle’s final two preseason games to nab a roster spot. The most intriguing of those three is Eskridge, who is seemingly in his last chance to secure a future with the Seahawks after struggling to stay on the field over his first three NFL seasons due to injuries and a suspension.

Can Russell grab a TE spot?

Second-year pro Brady Russell, who was a regular special teams contributor for the Seahawks last year, made a strong early case for one of the final tight end spots behind Noah Fant and Pharaoh Brown. The 6-foot-3, 250-pound former undrafted free agent out of Colorado hauled in three catches for 25 yards in the preseason opener, highlighted by a 13-yard TD reception where he showed some sneaky speed and athleticism after the catch by eluding a defender and barreling into the end zone.

Russell appears to be ahead of rookie fourth-round pick AJ Barner in the tight end pecking order right now, but Barner is probably a lock to make the team given his draft status. So for Russell, the key will be proving valuable enough for Seattle to keep four tight ends on its roster. After a strong preseason debut, he’s certainly off to a good start in that regard. And his experience on special teams should provide a definite boost. There’s also some uncertainty right now about the status of Brown, who reportedly suffered a foot injury in Thursday’s joint practice with the Titans. Fant also reportedly sat out practice that day.

A potential battle for starting RG

Second-year pro Anthony Bradford spent all of training camp as the favorite to start at right guard, but it appears rookie third-round pick Christian Haynes could be making a real push for the starting job. According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, Haynes consistently worked as the first-string right guard during Thursday’s joint practice with the Titans, while Bradford worked with the second team.

Bradford has the advantage of NFL experience, having started 10 games at right guard for Seattle last season as a rookie. But the Seahawks are clearly excited about the potential of Haynes, who started 49 games at UConn before Seattle made him the second draft pick of the Macdonald era. And they aren’t the only ones intrigued. Earlier this week, former Seahawks offensive lineman Ray Roberts said Haynes “jumped off the screen” in the preseason opener.

The competition for final CB spots

Budding superstar Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen and Tre Brown are all locks atop the depth chart at cornerback. Things get interesting after that, with probably four players competing for the final two or three roster spots: Ninth-year veteran Artie Burns, fourth-year pro Michael Jackson, rookie fifth-round pick Nehemiah Pritchett and rookie sixth-rounder D.J. James.

Burns reportedly has impressed in camp with his versatility at the nickel spot, so he might hold an advantage right now. Pritchett also could have an edge given his draft status. That could turn it into a battle between Jackson and James. Jackson started all 17 games for Seattle in 2022 and four games last year, but missed the preseason opener with an injury. He returned to practice this week, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

More Seattle Seahawks coverage

• Seattle Seahawks rookie Byron Murphy II already has insiders raving
• Seattle Seahawks get best of Titans’ injury-limited offense in joint practice
• Wyman on Seahawks: Thoughts on Nwosu’s value, ‘old school’ new RB coach
• Why insider ‘cannot wait’ to see Geno in OC Ryan Grubb’s scheme
• Can Seattle Seahawks’ Kenneth Walker III be a top-five RB?

Follow @CameronVanTil