Seattle Seahawks coach Pete Carroll likes to talk about players taking what he calls the “sophomore leap.”
Many players take a year or so to adjust to the speed of the NFL game, not to mention the grueling travel, newfound freedom, etc. A lot of those guys hit their stride starting in their second year in the league.
With Seattle losing a lot of talented players this offseason, many players from the 2017 draft class will be asked to step into bigger roles this season.
Examining Seattle’s rookie class of 2017, there are a few obvious candidates who could take that leap for the Seahawks and become impact players in 2018.
Left Guard Ethan Pocic (Second round, pick No. 58)
Pocic played in all 16 games for the Seahawks last season, starting 11 of them. His performance was not rated all that well, however, as Pro Football Focus ranked him as the No. 76 guard in all of football, with a “poor” grade.
However, the Seahawks seem confident in him as evidenced by their 2018 NFL Draft, where the only offensive lineman selected was left tackle Jamarco Jones. The team did sign veteran guard D.J. Fluker, but they expect him to play at the right guard position.
Pocic looks like the starter at left guard at the moment, and if he is able to take steps forward in his development he would help bolster an improving offensive line for the Seahawks.
Defensive Tackle Nazair Jones (Third round, pick No. 102)
A more in-depth look at how important a breakout season from Nazair Jones would be for the Seahawks can be found here. The skinny is that Seattle has lost Michael Bennett and Sheldon Richardson from last season, and is almost certainly going to lose Malik McDowell and Cliff Avril as well.
Jones had a solid rookie season, playing in 11 games and totaling 19 tackles and two sacks. He is primarily an interior defensive lineman whose best skill-set is clogging the running lanes. He has plenty of room to grow as a pass rusher, a skill the Seahawks could really use after losing Bennett.
If Jones can develop a more all-around game, it would really help pick up the slack on a new-look defensive line.
Wide Receiver Amara Darboh (Third round, pick No. 106)
Similar to Jones, Darboh should get a chance to compete for a bigger role after players in front of him on the depth chart departed.
Seattle saw No. 3 receiver Paul Richardson sign with the Redskins. The team also lost a pair of pass-catchers in Jimmy Graham and Luke Willson, leaving them in need of receiving help. They did sign Jaron Brown and acquired Marcus Johnson in the Michael Bennett trade, but for now, it looks like the No. 3 receiver job is Darboh’s to lose.
Darboh was primarily a special teams player last year, only hauling in eight catches for 74 yards despite playing in all 16 games. Darboh has the size (six-foot-two) and speed (4.45, 40-yard dash) to be Seattle’s next great receiver. Taking a leap forward next year would go a long way toward that becoming a reality.
Running Back Chris Carson (Seventh round, pick No. 249)
Carson doesn’t need to take a leap forward as much as he just needs to stay healthy.
The dynamic running back electrified the league to start the season, rushing 49 times for 208 yards and leap-frogging Thomas Rawls and Eddie Lacy on the depth chart. Unfortunately, just four games into the season Carson got injured and didn’t return.
If he is able to stay healthy next season, he should be an excellent breakout candidate. He’ll be competing with 2018 first round pick Rashaad Penny and veteran Mike Davis, but Carson should be a huge part of Seattle’s offense in 2018.
