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Every Open Starting Job at Seattle Seahawks Training Camp
Seattle Seahawks safety Ty Okada talks to media members at the San Jose Marriott. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Seattle Seahawks are competing for as large a role as possible for the regular season during training camp.

It won't be easy to see the field for a team that won a Super Bowl last season, which means they expect the best of the best. Most of the teams' starting roles have been decided from last year's success, but others will be competing for a spot in the starting lineup. Here's a look at all of the open jobs that will be earned during training camp.

Running Back

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Jadarian Price vs. George Holani vs. Emanuel Wilson

The Seahawks have to make some changes at the running back position after Kenneth Walker III left for free agency with the Kansas City Chiefs. Zach Charbonnet landed on the PUP list as he recovers from a torn ACL.

Jadarian Price is the leading candidate for the starting running back job after being selected with the No. 32 overall pick in the first round. He and George Holani split reps during the team's minicamp last month.

The Seahawks also signed Emanuel Wilson to a one-year, $2 million deal in the offseason after he was the backup for the Green Bay Packers last season. There's a good chance the Seahawks will want to operate in a committee, like they did last season. Look for each of them to get a good amount of first-team reps throughout training camp.

Prediction: Price starts, but Wilson challenges him for touches

Right Guard

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Anthony Bradford vs. Beau Stephens vs. Christian Haynes

Anthony Bradford is entering the final season of his contract with the Seahawks. The team went out and selected Beau Stephens in the fifth round of the NFL draft out of Iowa. Stephens has a lot of potential despite being a Day 3 pick and could make an impact on the Seahawks early in his career.

Despite Bradford's struggles last season, he was able to start all 17 games for the team at right guard, even if he was the clear weak link in the unit with the lowest pass-block and run-block grades on the starting unit, according to Pro Football Focus. He had a 50.6 overall grade, which ranked him 70th out of 81 qualified guards around the league.

Stephens, along with third-year pro Christian Haynes, will get a chance to unseat him in the starting lineup. If they perform well, it could spark Seattle to make a change on the offensive line.

Prediction: Bradford retains his starting spot

Strong Safety

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Ty Okada vs. Bud Clark vs. D'Anthony Bell

The strong safety position is vacant going into the season after Kobe Bryant signed with the Chicago Bears in free agency. The next man up is Ty Okada, who started 11 games last season and recorded 65 tackles. The Seahawks elected Bud Clark out of TCU in the second round of the draft, and he could be a direct challenger for snaps against Okada.

The Seahawks are also bringing back D'Anthony Bell, who played 14 games with the team before he was waived in December. Bell joined the Carolina Panthers for their brief playoff run once but signed with the Seahawks back in March. All three players are benefiting from Nick Emmanwori's ankle injury that is keeping him on the sidelines for the start of training camp.

Ultimately, it is a three-horse race at the strong safety position, but all of these players should have considerable roles in the secondary once the season starts.

Prediction: Okada starts, but Clark could overtake him during the season

Return Specialist

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Rashid Shaheed vs. Jadarian Price vs. Emmanuel Henderson Jr.

This is the spot that is most up for grabs out of the four, because it doesn't always come down to who is the best performer at the position.

Rashid Shaheed returned to kickoff for the Seahawks in the playoffs last year against the San Francisco 49ers, giving him the inside edge for the team. He signed a three-year, $51 million contract with the Seahawks this offseason, which could lead to a larger role on offense. This opens the door for a possible rookie to take over the reins as the team's return specialist.

First-round pick Jadarian Price (who scored two kickoff returns in 2025 at Notre Dame) could also be the team's starting running back, so that could also disqualify him from consideration.

Sixth-round pick Emmanuel Henderson Jr. really needs to make an impact on special teams in order to make the roster. His blazing speed is what caught scouts' attention during the pre-draft process, as he ran a 4.4 at the NFL Combine.

Henderson's 4.4 speed gives him the chance to compete for the starting job, but Shaheed and Price have expertise that should also make them worthy of the role.

He also returned kickoffs for the Kansas Jayhawks in his senior year, logging 18 returns for 455 yards and a touchdown. That could be enough for him to earn some consideration with the Seahawks, but he will have some stiff competition in order to get there.

Prediction: Price and Shaheed end up splitting return duties.


This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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