As loaded as the Seattle Seahawks are in the wide receiver room, is former second-rounder Dee Eskridge already the odd man out?

The Seahawks already have 1,000-yard options in DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett, then added PFN’s No. 1 WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft — which points to Eskridge falling off on the options front. Quarterback Geno Smith, however, thinks otherwise.

Geno Smith on Dee Eskridge: ‘Dee is Going To Do Some Things’

Since his arrival out of Western Michigan, Eskridge has managed to play in 20 games but has zero starts and only 17 career receptions. Injuries from a concussion to last season’s broken hand have hindered the 5’9″, 190-pound wideout.

Smith, however, confidently stated that Eskridge is bound to become a big emphasis on the Seahawks’ offense moving forward.

“Dee is going to do some things,” Smith said, via Curtis Crabtree of FOX 13 Seattle. “He’s getting ready to do many things. I know things have started slow for him but doesn’t matter.”

Eskridge is now fully healthy and was participating in drills on Day 1 of OTAs. Smith dove into what he’s really witnessed out of the incoming third-year wideout.

“I really see the growth in his mindset and his mentality. He wants it,” Smith said. “He’s always wanted it, and he’s always had that ability, but obviously, he’s had some setbacks. But I can see just in his mental makeup that he’s ready to take that next step, and it’s my job to help him, and that’s why I want to be there with him.”

MORE: Seattle Seahawks OTAs Preview — Injuries and Rookies Dominate the Show

Smith adds he’s witnessed a relentless work ethic from Eskridge, even in what’s expected to be a highly competitive WR room in the Pacific Northwest.

“He’s working his butt off. He’s super explosive out here on the field. He’s one of the more explosive guys I’ve ever seen. If we can get him where I think he’ll be, I think it will help us out a lot,” Smith said.

How Eskridge Can Further Open Seahawks Offense

Seattle fans and Seahawk opponents already know how much of a mismatch Metcalf and Lockett are on the field together.

The former is the physically imposing size/speed option, while the latter is a textbook route runner with sudden releases to get defensive backs on their heels. JSN, meanwhile, comes in as a zone attacker and slot option.

MORE: Where Does the Seahawks’ Offense Rank Heading Into 2023?

But even with three wideouts all considered a WR1, there’s still room for Eskridge to operate and take pressure off Smith and the others in the wideout arena.

When healthy, Eskridge brings his own quick-footed element to the Seahawks. He has a past history from his WMU days of hitting a second burst that leaves defensive backs playing catch up to him.

Even with his diminutive stature, Eskridge showed he’s unafraid to adjust to an errant throw and contorts himself into securing the reception. He’s shown a knack for coming back to the ball and having enough speed to track it down.

Eskridge will do so much better working with space, given the fact he’s a smaller speed option.

But Smith-Njigba’s presence on the opposite side, plus the inevitability of the Ohio State star likely commanding more attention among the slot options, bodes very well for Eskridge — as his speed can get him to blow the top off defenses and have the necessary field cushion to work with.

Of course, Metcalf and Lockett bring their field-stretching element…further eating up space for a healthy Eskridge.

The 2021 second-rounder has had a slow start to his career. But Smith’s bold statements indicate a potential breakthrough performer in the Pacific Northwest, plus one who’s hellbent on erasing his injury history to open up Seattle’s offense further.

A Tariq Woolen injury was the last thing the Seattle Seahawks‘ secondary needed. Woolen finished third in the NFL‘s Defensive Rookie of the Year voting a season ago after intercepting six passes in his first season with the Seahawks. That number led the entire NFL a season ago alongside names like Minkah Fitzpatrick, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Justin Simmons. How much time will Woolen miss, and what does it mean for the Seahawks?

Tariq Woolen Injury

Apparently, the injury is a week old now, and the second-year cornerback had surgery to repair the knee Tuesday, according to Adam Schefter.

“Tariq Woolen injured his knee while walking on the practice field for OTA’s one week ago,” Schefter tweeted. “Doctors reviewed the injury and Woolen underwent surgery today in Houston, which went as well as doctors could have hoped, per source.”

The injury is expected to sideline him until training camp. Woolen and the team are lucky that the injury wasn’t more significant.

What This Means for Seahawks’ Defense

Jamal Adams’ injuries were very severe, and the veteran safety may not be available for Week 1.

“He’s working his tail off,” Seahawks GM John Schneider told reporters. “We want to be really careful with this. It’s been two years in a row now that he’s been banged up. … We want to be really careful with his progression. Training camp? I’m just not sure.”

Linebacker Jordyn Brooks won’t be ready to start the season.

MORE: Seattle Seahawks OTAs Preview — Injuries and Rookies Dominate the Show

But missing just a bit of time could be a good thing for the Seahawks’ secondary in the long run. They absolutely need to figure out the depth situation behind Woolen and Devon Witherspoon.

Mike Jackson, Artie Burns, Tre Brown, Coby Bryant, and Jerrick Reed II all have a golden opportunity to get a few more reps and show the coaching staff they can be relied upon.

But as long as Woolen is back before Week 1 with a clean bill of health, the Seahawks’ defense could actually end up benefitting from this minor setback. There’s a reason the front office used the fifth pick in the NFL Draft at the position and drafted another one in Round 6.

Although Seattle ranked 10th in dropback success rate on defense, they ranked 19th in dropback EPA. Adding Witherspoon should help the Seattle defense greatly, but they need a third cornerback to step up. This minor injury could help clear up who that could be.

Although there are months before we get live football again, NFL teams have begun gathering for organized team activities. Positional battles can technically be won or lost during OTAs, but it’s not likely.

However, there are more than a few players with much to prove during the springtime. There may only be one actual QB battle in the league, but that doesn’t mean that everyone has a job nailed down for the entire season, and depending on how things go over the spring and summer, they could lose their gigs by Week 1.

The 5 Players With the Most To Prove at OTAs

Although quarterbacks dominate the OTA list, that’s mostly because they’re one of the few positions that actually get to do a majority of their intended job during the offseason.

Meanwhile, the only non-quarterback on the list has put quite the target on his back after recent comments, and from the past few years of underwhelming production due to consistent injury issues.

Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay Buccaneers

From top pick to team No. 4 in just over two seasons, Baker Mayfield has been put through the wringer. Progressive has missed more than a few opportunities with Mayfield as he’s moved around the country, but it’s probably best for everyone that he focus on his play at this point.

The former No. 1 overall pick injured his non-throwing shoulder in Week 2 of the 2021 season and played through it. That was a mistake, because the offseason surgery did not allow Mayfield to work through the mechanical issues magnified by the injury.

Although the Panthers, Rams, and now Buccaneers are all seemingly underwhelming situations, Mayfield still has an opportunity to show that he can once again be a starting QB on a contending team.

MORE: QB Power Rankings 2023

There is also a Kyle Trask-sized elephant in the room to deal with. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers used a second-round pick on Trask in the 2021 NFL Draft, and they may be quick to pull the string on Mayfield in favor of him.

“Kyle has been around him every day for the last two years,” Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht stated about his inner action with Tom Brady. “I think it’s rubbed off on him. Kyle, right now, is one of the players working out by himself every day. I see him out of my office. I see him out the window on the field by himself every day.”

Mac Jones, New England Patriots

Speaking of Brady, his successor is also under quite a bit of pressure this offseason.

“As we know, a disloyalty in Bill’s [Belichick] mind is almost worse than bad play,” Tom Curran said in an interview with WEEI. “Mac [Jones], even though you could say it’s ironic because he’s trying to get better, and he’s wondering, ‘Are we supposed to be doing it this way?’ And he’s asking around the football world about it. That effort to improve was showing up the Matt Patricia-Joe Judge contingent that Bill put in charge. When Bill caught wind of it — he’s still pissed about it.”

Belichick made a massive mistake last season with Patricia and Judge. He did everyone in the organization a disservice with those actions. But now Mac Jones has to make up for his dissent.

The team was quick to pull Jones in favor of Bailey Zappe, and if Jones struggles again in a better situation, the Patriots are famous for pulling the trigger on replacing players earlier rather than later.

Ryan Tannehill, Tennessee Titans

Getting benched in his final season as a starter for the Tennessee Titans would not look good on Ryan Tannehill’s résumé. Tennessee’s QB costs the team $36.6 million against the cap in 2023, but he also has Will Levis and Malik Willis lurking behind him.

Willis was very obviously not ready to play at a high level in 2022 but has a ton of potential upside. Levis fell in the NFL Draft after a dip in production as a senior at Kentucky, but he also has potential, and his main pro comp was an elevated version of Tannehill.

The veteran undoubtedly wants to put on a good show in 2023 to maximize his earning potential next season on a new team.

Sam Howell, Washington Commanders

It surprised a lot of people to see Sam Howell tumble into the fifth round of the NFL Draft. But now, he’ll have every opportunity to win the starting job in Washington in his sophomore campaign. It may not be as easy as it sounds, even though Ron Rivera sounds hopeful.

“He’s not our starter,” Rivera said in his Combine press conference. “He’s coming in as the QB1. He’ll get a great opportunity to be our starter. But we do want to find a veteran quarterback.”

MORE: Jim Irsay ‘Hopeful’ That Josh Harris-Washington Commanders Deal Can Get Done

That’s the rub. The Commanders landed their veteran quarterback, and they landed a doozy. Jacoby Brissett is coming off a career year with the Cleveland Browns. In fact, if it wasn’t for an abysmal defensive performance, that team would have competed for a playoff spot in the AFC.

The Commanders may not have the best roster in the NFL, but they have a top-five defense and enough offensive weapons to surprise folks in 2023.

Mekhi Becton, New York Jets

“I got forced to play a position I don’t play,” Mekhi Becton told Newsday. “I was pretty much telling them I wasn’t feeling good the whole time throughout camp, and I was told I shouldn’t be complaining, ‘Go out there and do it.’ I was limping throughout the whole practice, and I just took a step, and my knee buckled, and I got hurt again and had to get reconstructive knee surgery.”

It’s not unheard of to see players criticize a coaching staff after their departure from the organization. It is quite uncommon to see players fighting for a spot in the starting lineup to do so for the existing coaches.

Entering the 2023 season, Duane Brown is likely the New York Jets’ starting left tackle. Becton is on the final year of his rookie deal and likely won’t secure a significant second contract if he can’t get on the field for New York as a starter. And he’s made it quite clear that right tackle isn’t an option.