Heaps: The 4 Seahawks rookies with the best chance to start Week 1

The Seahawks begin a new chapter this season as quarterback Russell Wilson has been traded and a younger and different-looking roster is now what’s taking place in Seattle.

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A big part of Seattle’s next chapter came last month with the NFL Draft, where the Seahawks made nine selections and came away with a draft class many think was among the best in the league.

So of those nine players, who has the best chance to be an immediate starter come Week 1, when the Seahawks take on Wilson and the Denver Broncos? Former NFL quarterback Jake Heaps made his picks.

“Charles Cross, Abe Lucas, Ken Walker and Coby Bryant. Those are my four guys that I believe have amazing chances to start from Day 1,” Heaps said during Thursday’s Jake and Stacy on Seattle Sports 710 AM.

Cross, a left tackle, was Seattle’s first-round pick at No. 9 overall. Lucas is a fellow offensive tackle and was taken in the third round. Walker, meanwhile, was a second-round pick at running back while Bryant is a cornerback the Seahawks took in the fourth round.

“They all have their different reasons why, but these are the four guys that I view that are going to come in, are going to be pros from Day 1 and have legitimate chance to push the starters that are already there or walk right into a starting job from Day 1,” Heaps said.

With Cross and Lucas, those two have “a strong advantage” to start right away, Heaps said.

“Charles Cross, you can basically pen him in as the starting left tackle,” Heaps said. “Abe Lucas, it’s a little bit more of a competition. But I anticipate that he will be the Day 1 starter there (at right tackle). The upside, the athleticism, the strength, all of it just matches up exactly with what they are hoping to get at the right tackle position.”

Walker is a little bit harder to pen in as a starter, Heaps said, because Rashaad Penny, who was incredible down the stretch in 2021, is back for 2022 after re-signing in free agency.

“Rashaad Penny’s gonna get the first crack at it. There’s no question about it. However, the reason why I put Ken Walker’s name in there is because you just don’t know with the injuries. You just never know,” Heaps said, alluding to Penny’s lengthy injury history in his NFL career. “I believe that Ken Walker, just the with the way that his mental makeup is, the success that he’s had at every step in his high school and college career up to this point with people doubting him, with him having to overcome adversity and transfer to a new place and still be successful, to me, that says a lot about that young man’s belief and his ability to always make plays when plays are to be had.”

The Seahawks already had two capable starting cornerbacks coming back for 2022 in Tre Brown and Sidney Jones prior to the draft, but Heaps think Bryant will make a really good run for a starting spot.

“Coby Bryant, to me, is a guy that I just really think is mature and can be a pro’s pro from Day 1. I’m really looking forward to seeing how he does starting with OTAs and training camp,” he said.

Listen to the full second hour of Thursday’s Jake and Stacy at this link or in the player below.

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