Seattle Seahawks: 3 Players who will make strides in 2019

The Seattle Seahawks have plenty of young and developing players. I’m sure we’ll see some of them take big steps in their development this year.

The Seattle Seahawks went 10-6 last season by relying on the franchise’s cornerstones and emerging players like Chris Carson. If the Seahawks want to unseat the Los Angeles Rams though, the team will need to count on other young players moving forward in their own developments.

I already wrote an article predicting three players who will have breakout seasons for the Seahawks. This isn’t the same thing. These players aren’t looking for massive leaps in development. This article is more focused on players who can steadily continue to grow and build on established foundations.

While Seattle has plenty of young guys who will continue to develop, three specific players stood out to me.

3. Shaquill Griffin, CB

This is the year that Shaquill Griffin needs to step up and show that he’s capable of being Seattle’s top cornerback. The third-round pick showed potential as a rookie back in 2017, but he didn’t take the next step that many expected him to in 2018.

Griffin moved to the left cornerback spot full-time last season. That position is special for the Seahawks because that’s where Richard Sherman played when he was with the team. Seeing as the team has yet to replace Sherman, or any member of the Legion of Boom for that matter, the spotlight has drifted toward Griffin.

Again, 2018 wasn’t a great year for the UCF product. He did manage to intercept two passes, but both of those instances came in Week 2 against Mitchell Trubisky and the Chicago Bears. Trubisky did make the Pro Bowl last season, but that was largely thanks to the fans and improved play that we started seeing after Week 3. Three of Griffin’s eight passes defensed also came against Chicago.

The lack of consistency Griffin demonstrated in 2018 cannot carry into 2019. The Seahawks ranked 17th in pass defense last season. That’s not bad, but it certainly does drag their team down. Seattle finished 13th in run defense, but only ranked 16th in overall defense because of their failures against the pass.

Griffin has all of the physical tools he needs to succeed. It’s just a matter of perfecting his usage of those tools and keeping his confidence up. I’m glad Griffin seems more optimistic about his prospects heading into the 2019 season. However, if he fails to shape up, Seattle might be forced to pursue another cornerback in the draft or through free agency next summer.