Seattle Seahawks: What players will make the Pro Bowl in 2018?

The Seattle Seahawks have moved on from a lot of their former stars. Will the remaining stars and rising talents be able to remain at or elevate to a Pro Bowl level?

The Seattle Seahawks said goodbye to a lot of their old guard this offseason. That leaves the team in an uncertain place, but also means we won’t be seeing a lot of the usual Seahawks stars in 2018.

And after the big shakeup, which players will still be able to be stars and play at a level where they will make the Pro Bowl?

We start with the offense.

Wilson’s Offense

The remaining superstars in Seattle will continue to shine and may even glow brighter in the upcoming season. Starting on the offense, two names immediately come to mind. First is 2017 MVP candidate, quarterback Russell Wilson.

Wilson has time and again showed his ability to make something out of nothing and empower what would otherwise be a mediocre unit. There’s no reason to believe 2018 will be a down year for Wilson even if his team is reloading for the future. In fact, because of the addition of Rashaad Penny, Wilson may have less of a burden this upcoming season. If Penny steps up Wilson will be under a lot less defensive pressure and his play will only improve.

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The other offensive star on the Seahawks is wide receiver Doug Baldwin. He’s made the last two Pro Bowls, despite ending with less than 1,000 receiving yards in the 2017 season. If his production does not return to his 2015-16 levels then don’t expect to see him in the Pro Bowl. There are plenty of great receivers in the NFL and two of them, Mike Evans and Odell Beckham, will fight to claim Baldwin’s Pro Bowl spot if he doesn’t defend it.

Left tackle Duane Brown made the Pro Bowl in 2017 with the Seahawks, even though he only played 10 games. It was his fourth time being selected, but the first time since the 2014 season.  Brown will turn 33 during the coming season and will be shrouded in the mediocrity of the rest of the Seahawks offensive line. Even if he plays at a Pro Bowl level, I expect he’ll be passed over for the game in 2018.

Wagner’s Defense

To clarify, safety Earl Thomas is the best player remaining on the Seahawks defense. But with all of his contract issues and tension with his current organization, linebacker Bobby Wagner seems like the true heart of the defense. He even played through hampering injuries last season, trying to will his team into the playoffs.

Anyways, I think you get where this is going. Wagner has been a First Team All-Pro three of the last four seasons and he will put up another astonishing performance in 2018. Frankly he has the talent and skill to be a Hall of Fame player and he seems to be hitting his stride now. Wagner might even be in the mix for a Defensive Player of the Year award in the near future.

Thomas has been the best safety in the NFL since the retirements of Ed Reed and Troy Polamalu, but he’s struggled more as of late. Injuries have slowed him down these last two seasons and his production just hasn’t been what we’re used to. On top of all that he’s in line to holdout if he doesn’t get a contract extension from the Seahawks and that could last into and affect his 2018 campaign. Based off of his skill and past success, it is hard to see Thomas missing the Pro Bowl and I think he’ll make it, but Seahawks fans should watch his situation closely.

Speaking of a situation the Seahawks should watch closely, Kam Chancellor will likely miss the entire upcoming season and may even be forced to retire because of his neck injury. Because of all that, I obviously don’t think he’ll make the Pro Bowl in 2018, but hopefully he’ll be able to return to the field.

With Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril gone, the onus for leading the Seahawks pass rush if now in the hands of Frank Clark. He has 19 sacks over the past two years, including ten back in 2016. In his fourth year I predict Clark will make the final leap and become one of the league’s best pass rushers and claim a Pro Bowl spot.

Finally, K.J. Wright made the Pro Bowl in 2016, but did not earn the honor again in 2017. Two years ago he played exceptionally well and displayed his versatility on the field and on the box score. But Wright is not a top tier linebacker and he lacks the career consistency to prove he can make another Pro Bowl. He’ll be passed over for the game again in 2018.

Next: NFL 2018: One likely veteran cut for each team

What’s next for Seattle?

The rebuilding process doesn’t happen overnight. The Seahawks have some talented cornerstones already in place, especially with Wilson, Wagner, and Thomas. But they need time to fill in the voids left around those players. The team has almost no chance of reproducing the kind of squad it had when the Legion of Boom was at its’ peak.

That defense was legendary and those kinds of units don’t come around often. All of that being said, the Seahawks have their established veterans and now they just need their younger players to bloom. They are a couple of consistent starters and a star or two away from being major postseason players again.