2025 Draft Guide: Seattle Seahawks

Coaching History: Last Three Years

Head Coach: Mike Macdonald (SEA ’24, BAL ’22-23)
Offensive Coordinator: Klint Kubiak (NO ’24, SF ’23, MIA ’22)
2024 Record: 10-7

Team Summary

The Seahawks bring in some new faces for the offensive side of the ball. QB Geno Smith has gone to Vegas, replaced by 2024 surprise star Sam Darnold. Mike Macdonald brought in Klint Kubiak as offensive coordinator, and we’ve heard consistently about the desire to run the ball. While Seattle was 6th in the NFL in PROE at 4.5% in 2024, expect to see them shift towards the run more in 2025. However, they did also bring in some interesting young pass catching weapons, drafting speedster Tory Horton and TE Elijah Arroyo.

Kubiak’s namesake and his offseason comments should make drafters bullish on the prospects for Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet (especially if you are worried about KWIII’s continuous injury issues). Kubiak prefers a zone rushing scheme, allowing his RBs to pick their gaps and get cut up field. There is also promise for the passing game, as in 2024, Kubiak’s Saints were one of the best offenses through 4 games, until they suffered multiple injuries that derailed the season.

The passing attack will have a newer look, with mainstays DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett now on different teams. That opens up more opportunities for rising star Jaxon Smith-Njigba to continue his ascension and should also give some rookies the opportunity to pop throughout the year. Keep an eye on how Sam Darnold performs under pressure though, as Seattle’s poor offensive line may struggle to keep Darnold clean in the pocket. Darnold’s YPA dropped from 8.47 when kept clean to 6.43 when pressured.

2024 Ranks (2023 Rank)

• Points: 18th (17th)
• Yards: 14th (21st)
• Passing Attempts: 7th (17th)
• Passing Yards: 8th (14th)
• Passing TDs: 20th (20th)
• Rushing Attempts: 29th (31st)
• Rushing Yards: 28th (28th)
• Rushing TDs: 11th (20th)

2024 Positional Market Share

While the overall rushing distribution looks like a committee between KWIII and Zach Charbonnet, if you remove the games that Walker missed, he actually held a 3:1 carry advantage over Charbonnet.

Even with DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett on the team in 2024, JSN still managed to exceed a 24% target share. He should have significantly less competition this year, but there are questions about the overall passing volume and the efficiency that will come in 2025.

Depth Chart:

• QB: Sam Darnold, Jalen Milroe
• RB: Kenneth Walker III, Zach Charbonnet, Damien Martinez
• WR: Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Z/Slot), Cooper Kupp (Z/Slot), Tory Horton, Marquez Valdes-Scantling
• TE: AJ Barner, Elijah Arroyo
  • Bold – Fantasy relevant
  • Highlighted – Priority target

Player Breakdowns

After a rough start to his career in New York, Darnold got an opportunity to start last season in Minnesota, and he made the most of it. He recorded his first season better than QB25 setting career highs in completions, yards, and TDs en route to a QB9 finish. However, Darnold was highly susceptible to pressure – his Completion % dropped from 73.8% unpressured to 45.5% pressured and his QB rating dropped from 113.2 to 73.1. Seattle’s offensive line is unlikely to be a strong unit in 2025, so be wary of projecting Darnold’s success in Minnesota to his new situation in Seattle.

Walker is a very talented, physical RB. However, he his running style has caused him to miss time every year. When he is able to play, he has been extremely productive, but he has left managers scrambling for replacements. He has missed 8 games over the past two seasons, but when he plays, he has been effective, averaging 13.6 FPPG. He is also involved in the passing game, as he has increased his targets every year in the NFL (reaching 53 in 2024).

Charbonnet has been waiting in the wings for his opportunities behind Walker. In games when he has received at least 14 carries, Charbonnet has actually averaged 17.65 FPPG. Charbonnet should be considered one of the premier handcuff options, as he has a stand-alone role as well, so he can be played in deeper leagues as a flex option. If Walker misses time, he immediately jumps into the low-end RB1 category.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba bounced back from what was considered a disappointing rookie year, although his 63 catches were only 4 behind the franchise rookie record held by Joey Galloway. He came into his own in 2024, catching 100 passes and scoring 6 TDs. With Metcalf and Lockett gone, there is no reason he shouldn’t match the opportunities in 2025, and his production will come down to efficiency of the offense.

Cooper Kupp’s addition to the Seahawks may seem a bit redundant with JSN’s role, but that gets to the heart of how the offense wants to operate. They will try to run the ball, target their WRs quickly in the middle of the field, and rely on play-action to hit big plays. Kupp is a physical WR who isn’t afraid to block in the running game. He averaged a solid 1.90 YPRR on non-play action passes, which jumped to 3.00 YPRR when play action was involved. Don’t expect Kupp to cut into JSN’s opportunities, but he should be a clear #2 option in the passing game.

Tory Horton is a lesser-known rookie WR. He is a speedy player who can play outside, which should help get him on the field during his rookie year. While JSN and Kupp will rotate into the slot, Horton will be one of the players stretching the field on the outside. His 4.41 40-yard dash at the combine shows he should be able to get behind defenses, especially when considering that he wasn’t 100% as he recovered from a season ending injury. He is one of the players that may not get a ton of opportunities, but he won’t need many opportunities to matter in fantasy.

Barner will enter the year as the starting TE for Seattle. Upon news of Noah Fant’s release, fantasy managers surged Elijah Arroyo up their draft boards. However, while Arroyo may be the primary receiving TE on the roster, Barner has the capability to be an every-down player, which will provide him with enough opportunities to be a streaming option. Keep Barner in mind if you need a bye-week fill-in or injury replacement throughout the season.

Arroyo joined Seattle being drafted in the 2nd Round of the NFL Draft. He is their TE of the future, but that doesn’t always translate to success as a rookie. The depth chart is clear enough, with only AJ Barner competing for opportunities, so if Arroyo’s game is able to translate to the NFL level, he could be a surprise finisher at the TE position. However, he was not particularly productive at Miami (FL), as he battled injuries over the course of his career. Proceed with caution on Arroyo, but be aware that the Seahawks liked what they saw enough to take him in the second round.

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