Seahawks depth chart 2021: Seattle's projected Week 1 starters heading into regular season

It was a somewhat sleepless Seattle in February, when rumors surfaced about Russell Wilson possibly wanting to leave town. Wilson -- while admitting that there were some frustrations after the season -- ended any talk of him leaving the Seahawks. With that, Seattle's Super Bowl window is still open, as the Seahawks have built a formidable roster ahead of the 2021 season. 

Seattle has improved a roster that won 12 games last season before being upset by the Rams in the wild card round. It also managed to re-sign/extend some of their key players long-term, a list that includes Tyler Lockett, Ethan Pocic and Chris Carson. The Seahawks changed offensive coordinators, as Shane Waldron looks to carry over the success he had in Los Angeles.

With Week 1 just around the corner, we decided to take a look at the Seahawks' projected depth chart as well as the team's possible starting lineup. 

Rookies are denoted with (*)

Offense

To help improve Wilson's protection, the Seahawks acquired right guard Gabe Jackson, a starter on the Raiders' offensive line from 2014-20. Wilson still has one of the NFL's top receiving duos in Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf, along with a new weapon in the form of rookie receiver D'Wayne Eskridge. Despite being just 5-foot-9, Eskridge made Mid-American Conference defensive backs look silly last season. In just six games, Eskridge caught eight touchdowns while averaging 23.3 yards per reception. 

"Aggressive, explosive and dynamic," Eskridge said when asked to assess his game. "I can do multiple things on the offensive and defensive side, and I can also go and perform well on special teams, so I just bring a whole other juice."

Despite Chris Carson's injury, the Seahawks finished 12th in the NFL in rushing and sixth in yards-per-carry average in 2020. That being said, their running game was largely saved by Wilson, who finished second on the team in rushing attempts and rushing yards. Along with Carson, the Seahawks will need bigger contributions this season from Rashaad Penny, Travis Homer, DeeJay Dallas and Alex Collins. Fans should specifically keep an eye on Penny, a former first-round pick who is now more than a full year removed from a major knee injury sustained near the end of the 2019 season. 

Defense

Seattle spent one of its three draft picks to select former Oklahoma cornerback Tre Brown. In Brown, Seattle is getting a versatile, physical defender who has a penchant for making big plays at big moments. His two long kickoff returns and an interception helped the Sooners edge Iowa State in last year's Big 12 Championship Game. His college highlights also included a game-saving tackle vs. Baylor (2019) and a pivotal sack/safety in a win over Texas (2018). Brown is also looking to make his mark as a gunner on special teams. 

"Somebody needs to make a play, and I want to always be that guy that you can count on," said Brown, who broke up 31 passes for the Sooners. "Accountability is big for me… That's when you can really count on me to make that play, I'm not going to let my teammates down. I'm there for my teammates, and I'd rather be the guy that's lifting us up rather than be the weight on our shoulders."

Special Teams

A Pro Bowler with the Jets in 2018, Jason Myers is entering his third season as the Seahawks' kicker. While he missed four extra point attempts, Myers made each of his 24 field goal attempts in 2020. Reed led the Seahawks with a 27.4 yards per kickoff return average last season. Eskridge averaged 27.5 yards per kickoff return during his final season at Western Michigan.

Will Russ cook in 2021, or will the Seahawks sizzle? Can the offense keep pace in a loaded NFC West? Download the CBS Sports app and get the latest news, insights, and surprising predictions from our team of experts. If you already have the app, make sure to favorite the Seahawks to get the latest news quickly.