No. 5: Cliff Avril (DE)

Coming off of his first Pro Bowl selection, Cliff Avril is prepped for another impressive season. The nine year veteran lead the team in sacks with 11.5, and added 39 total tackles in 2016 while playing alongside talents like Michael Bennet and Frank Clark. He helped lead the Seahawks to the playoffs where he accounted for another two sacks in just two games. Look for Avril to lead the defensive line to another impressive season in 2017.

No. 4: Richard Sherman (DB)

After multiple trade rumors and contract issues, Richard Sherman will be back with the Seahawks in 2017. The five time first-team All-Pro lead the team with four interceptions last season and accounted for 58 total tackles and 13 pass deflections. Seattle’s defense was not the issue last season, and hasn’t been an issue for years now. With Sherman playing alongside some of the best defensive backs in the league, look for the legion of boom to lead the Seahawks to another top five finish in total defense.

No. 3: Doug Baldwin (WR)

Doug Baldwin has been the heart and soul of the Seahawks’ receiver unit since the 2014 season. He has lead the team in receiving yards for the last three seasons and there’s no reason to stop now. The 2016 Pro Bowler recorded 7 touchdowns and 1,128 reception yards last season. He is only 5’10”, but boy is he fast and sure handed. Expect Baldwin to lead the team in reception yards for the fourth straight season in 2017.

No. 2: Russell Wilson (QB)

Russell Wilson has taken the NFL by storm ever since he stepped onto the field in 2012. Whether it’s his ability to escape pressure for a 15 yard scramble or throw a beautiful deep ball, Russ is just fun to watch. The three time Pro Bowler threw for a whopping 4,219 yards in 2016, which is the most he’s thrown for in a single season. On the downside Russ threw 11 interceptions last season, which was also the most he’s thrown in a single season. Wilson’s QBR also took a dip last season as he was ranked No. 15 out of every NFL quarterback. Russell will have to step up again in 2017 and help the Seattle offense improve from last season, where they found themselves having trouble putting points up on the board.

No. 1: Thomas Rawls/ Eddie Lacy (RB)

Whichever running back gets a chance to contribute the most needs to really help this offense out. The Seahawks had so much trouble scoring last season because their running game was lacking big time. Seattle went from being a top five rushing team to the No. 25 ranked rushing team in the past two seasons. The only real reason they made the playoffs was because of their stellar defense and Russell Wilson throwing for over 4,000 yards. Rawls will likely get the nod because of his multiple skill sets. He didn’t have a great season last year after battling injuries, but during his rookie season in 2015 Rawls did not disappoint when filling in for Marshawn Lynch. He accounted for 830 yards and 4 touchdowns in just 147 carries in 2015. Rawls possesses the ability to hit the hole like the fastest backs in the league, while falling forward like the strongest. Lacy may win the starting job, but either way he will contribute mightily. Look for the two backs to drastically improve Seattle’s run game from last season.

If you would like to receive an email each time a new Seattle Seahawks article is published, fill out our email notification form.