Snap Reactions: Many Seahawks 2024 draftees seeing reduced roles

For the third season in a row, the Seattle Seahawks have opened 3-2, matching the record of each of the previous two seasons through the first five games.

Interestingly, and meaningless, the Seahawks are 0-3 in Week 5 under Mike Macdonald, having now lost to the New York Giants, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the San Franicsco 49ers in Week 5 during that stretch. Now, of course, the question becomes how Seattle will respond, as in 2024 the team went 1-3 over their next four games, while in 2025 they rattled off four wins in a row.

Sunday against the 49ers the biggest issue was, for the second time in three games, turnovers. Of the 32 points the 49ers put on the board, 21 came following a Seahawks turnover, and just like against the Washington Commanders in Week 3, giving the opponent easy points over and over will far too often lead to a loss in the NFL.

On the subject of turnovers, the running backs on the roster have struggled mightily with fumbles so far this season. Jadarian Price is on injured reserve, but fumbled twice in three games. Emanuel Wilson has fumbled twice. And George Holani has fumbled twice.

There’s not a whole lot to say about that other than that one should expect ball security to be a priority coaching point for the running backs in the coming weeks. To that point, though, it’s worth pointing out that even as the running backs the Seahawks put on the field continue to fumble left and right, Velus Jones has played just two offensive snaps so far this season meaning anyone hoping for a spark from his 4.31 speed may be disappointed.

Elsewhere on the offense, the rotation between 2024 third-round pick Christian Haynes and 2026 fifth-round pick Beau Stephens at right guard continued in Week 5, with a 52/48 split. The percentage of snaps Stephens has played has very slowly, but steadily, increased over the four games the Hawks have used the rotation.

• Week 2: 39%
• Week 3: 40%
• Week 4: 42%
• Week 5: 48%

The increase is certainly small, and it could be nothing more than randomness as a result of the combination of small sample sizes and game flow. That said, it’s worth watching in Week 6 to see if Stephens passes Haynes for playing time.

At receiver and tight end,, the 2025 draft class continues to lag behind outside additions with Tory Horton and Elijah Arroyo combining for only 31 offensive snaps and a lone target.

On the defensive side of things, Ty Okada played 56 snaps in his first action this season, while Rodney Thomas was effectively relegated to special teams after playing all but two defensive snaps over the first four weeks of the season.

Elsewhere, a couple of the bigger name free agent acquisitions saw the field sparingly, with Dante Fowler and Trevon Diggs playing just nine and eight snaps, respectively. Meanwhile, in the secondary, 2024 fifth-round selection Nehemiah Pritchett saw his lowest playing time on defense so far this year with just four snaps, while playing the highest percentage of special teams snaps he has logged to this point of the 2026 campaign. Meanwhile, 2024 fourth-round pick Tyrice Knight saw the field for the first time since Week 2 when Drake Thomas briefly left the game with an ankle injury.

As for special teams, Brady Russell led the Seahawks with 28 special teams snaps, with Mike Morris and Connor O’Toole coming in just behind at 26 snaps. Rodney Thomas, Patrick O’Connell and Velus Jones rounded out the top five with 21 special teams snaps each.

And now it’s on to the Denver Broncos in Week 6.