The Seahawks’ initial 53-man regular-season roster, explained--including the surprises

Mike Macdonald’s first regular-season roster as an NFL head coach has a few surprises.

The biggest one: An undrafted rookie offensive lineman who signed the day before training camp began. He’s playing a position he didn’t first start playing until he was a sophomore in college. That was at North Dakota State of the Football Championship Subdivision.

Jalen Sundell, undrafted and signed July 25, made the Seahawks’ initial 53-man roster for the 2024 regular season on Tuesday.

He played offensive tackle his fifth-year senior season at North Dakota State in 2023. Yet new Seahawks offensive line coach Scott Huff has had Sundell at center since the first day of training camp last month, and in all three preseason games.

Center remains a concern for Seattle.

The starter is going to be Connor Williams, who signed this month. His first Seahawks practice was last week. The former Miami Dolphins starter tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his knee eight months ago and had reconstructive knee surgery. The Seahawks think Williams will be ready to play in the opening game Sept. 8 against Denver at Lumen Field.

Sundell is on the roster as insurance as a backup to 2023 draft pick Olu Oluwatimi at center if Williams isn’t ready for week one.

The 53-man roster, explained

The Seahawks’ initial 53-man roster, as of Aug. 27 (starters in bold, rookies = *):

Quarterback: Geno Smith, Sam Howell.

No surprise the team cut eighth-year veteran P.J. Walker. Howell was better as Smith’s backup in training camp and in the three preseason games.

Running back: Kenneth Walker, Zach Charbonnet, Kenny McIntosh.

Surprisingly only kept three and waived George Holani. They will need more than three backs this season. They hope the undrafted rookie from Boise State clears NFL waivers Wednesday so they can put Holani on the 17-man practice squad.

Wide receiver: Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jake Bobo, Laviska Shenault Jr., Dareke Young.

Shenault will get the fly-sweep plays and kick-return roles Dee Eskridge was supposed to have for three seasons. The team waived Eskridge Tuesday.

Tight end: Noah Fant, Pharaoh Brown, Brady Russell, *AJ Barner.

Fant and Brown were injured the latter half of camp. Barner is a rookie fourth-round pick. Jack Westover from UW was waived with an injury designation following a hamstring injury.

Offensive line: Charles Cross (left tackle), Laken Tomlinson (left guard), Connor Williams (center), Anthony Bradford (right guard), George Fant (right tackle), *Christian Haynes, Olu Oluwatimi, *Jalen Sundell, Stone Forsythe, *Sataoa Laumea, *Michael Jerrell.

Fant is starting because Abe Lucas went on the physically-unable-to-perform list to begin the season. He will miss at least the first four games following knee surgery last winter. Bradford appears to have edged Haynes to be the starter at right guard.

Jerrell was beaming following practice Tuesday.

“Dream come true,” the sixth-round pick from Division-II Findlay said.

“I’ve always felt like I’ve belonged, from the day I got my number called (in the NFL draft in May).”

Defensive line: Leonard Williams (end), Jarran Reed (tackle), Johnathan Hankins (nose tackle), *Byron Murphy, Mike Morris, Myles Adams.

Only one true nose tackle in Hankins, three tackles in all with Murphy, the rookie first-round pick who was dominant much of the preseason. This is a thin position. Expect a move or two at this spot of signing veterans from other teams in the coming days and weeks.

Linebackers: Uchenna Nwosu (outside), Tyrel Dodson (middle), Jerome Baker (weakside), Boye Mafe (outside), Dre’Mont Jones, Derick Hall, Trevis Gipson, *Tyrice Knight, Drake Thomas.

Nwosu has a knee injury from getting cut blocked in the preseason finale last weekend. Not going on injured reserve (which would have meant he’d miss at least four games) is a sign the team thinks he will be back before the end of September.

Hall was a standout in training camp. The second-year linebacker who played only 26% of defensive snaps for Seattle last season will start opposite Mafe while Nwosu is injured -- and until Gipson, a veteran of three seasons with Chicago and one with Jacksonville, learns the defense.

He arrived Tuesday from the Jaguars in a trade.

Asked about his first impression of Macdonald, the 27-year-old Gipson said: “Man, great guy...He doesn’t let up on pressure (of the quarterback), which is what you always want.”

The Seahawks waived backup middle linebacker Jon Rhattigan, a special-teams mainstay for the last three seasons. That rids them of the $3 million contract he signed in the offseason as a restricted free agent. If he clears waivers the Seahawks could sign him back to a new, more team-friendly contract for this year.

Cornerback: Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Tre Brown, *Nehemiah Pritchett, *Dee Williams.

This team’s strongest position. Likely to start three cornerbacks in nickel. That will be Witherspoon, the rookie Pro Bowl selection last year, inside as the slot corner and Brown opposite Woolen outside.

Williams is one of two undrafted rookies on the roster. He makes the team as the new kickoff and punt returner.

The team cut Artie Burns, who was the backup nickel to Witherspoon this season. He injured his foot in the final preseason game.

Safety: Julian Love, Rayshawn Jenkins, K’Von Wallace, Coby Bryant.

Wallace is going to play as a third safety in some of Macdonald’s tricky sets. Jenkins injured his lower left leg last week in practice but was on the field during practice Tuesday.

Specialists: Kicker Jason Myers, punter Michael Dickson, long snapper Chris Stoll.

Unchallenged. Unchanged from last year.