The Seattle Seahawks have spent the last few years amassing an impressive nucleus of young talent. Fueled by the Russell Wilson trade (including the added benefit of Denver melting down to give them the No. 5 overall pick in 2023), Seattle has capitalized on their treasure trove of draft picks to build a solid roster.

This has not gone unnoticed around the NFL, even in the national media. ESPN’s Aaron Schatz recently compiled a ranking of teams in the league with the best talent under the age of 25-years-old. Topping the list are the Houston Texans, who have been in a full-blown rebuild mode for several years. But right behind them at the No. 2 position are none other than the Seattle Seahawks.

How does one create a ranking of under-25 talent? Schatz gave an elaborate list of his methodology, which includes number of starts, number of snaps, quality of the play, and length/value of the contract among several other items.

Seattle rose in Schatz’ rankings from No. 10 last year to No. 2 for a few reasons. First and foremost, the breakout year of wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba who emerged as a genuine threat in this league. Additionally, the selection of quarterback Jalen Milroe, despite how raw he is, adds tremendous value even if it is theoretical. That’s just how talented the young Mr. Milroe is.

Schatz also writes:

Other than Smith-Njigba, the best of the Seahawks’ young players is 24-year-old slot cornerback Witherspoon. In his first two seasons, Witherspoon has recorded 177 tackles, 4 sacks and 25 passes defensed. The rest of the young defense includes last year’s first-round pick, 22-year-old Murphy, as well as 24-year-old edge rusher Derick Hall and 21-year-old second-round rookie safety Nick Emmanwori. The Seahawks also have more youth on offense with 24-year-old running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, plus the left side of the offensive line, where left tackle Charles Cross and left guard rookie Grey Zabel are both under age 25.

The future is bright in the rainy Pacific Northwest, as general manager John Schneider routinely proves why he is among the best in the entire league at his lofty position. In a landscape where GM’s don’t have a long shelf life, Schneider has been in this position since 2010 for many reasons – this list is proof of one of them.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: ESPN ranks Seahawks near the top of the NFL for talent under 25