Seahawks to use Nick Vannett 'extensively' with Luke Willson out Rookie third-round pick reminds teammate of former starter Zach Miller

Seattle Seahawks running back Tre Madden, right, reaches for a pass intended for tight end Nick Vannett (81) during NFL football practice, Thursday, June 9, 2016, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Seattle Seahawks running back Tre Madden, right, reaches for a pass intended for tight end Nick Vannett (81) during NFL football practice, Thursday, June 9, 2016, in Renton, Wash. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren) Photo: Ted S. Warren/AP Photo: Ted S. Warren/AP Image 1 of / 9 Caption Close Seahawks to use Nick Vannett 'extensively' with Luke Willson out 1 / 9 Back to Gallery

RENTON -- Nick Vannett is finally ready for his chance to play.

The 2016 third-round pick has been sidelined since suffering a high ankle sprain in Seattle's preseason matchup with the Minnesota Vikings on Aug. 18. But after working his way back onto the field last week, he will be counted upon to play a big role in place of an injured Luke Willson.

During his Wednesday press conference at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center, head coach Pete Carroll said he expected Vannett to be "involved extensively" in Seattle's offense. Vannett said he was ready.

"It sucks to see one of your teammates go down like that, someone who helped me a lot when I first got here learning the playbook and just showing me the way," Vannett said Wednesday from the Seahawks locker room at the VMAC. "So I feel for Luke, but at the same time someone's got to step up. I think I'm going to have an increased role this week, and I'm just looking forward to it. I'm ready to study the game plan and get after it."

RELATED: Seahawks' Luke Willson undergoes arthroscopic knee surgery

Vannett got his first -- albeit limited -- taste of regular-season NFL action on Sunday, playing three offensive snaps and two on special teams in Seattle's 26-24 victory over the Atlanta. And while he would have liked to play more against the Falcons, he said it felt good to knock the rust off.

"It felt good to finally be out there," Vannett said. "After being out for six weeks you kind of appreciate the game a little bit. It felt good to get my first action in front of the crowd in that game, but I've got to be ready to play a lot more this week coming up. So I'm going to be ready."

Willson suffered a knee injury in Sunday's game when running back Christine Michael rolled into his leg after Michael scored a fourth-quarter touchdown. Willson underwent arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday, but Carroll said he expected Willson to be back in a matter of weeks.

The second of three third-round picks for the Seahawks, Vannett initially earned high praise from general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll for his ability as an in-line blocker. But he also impressed as a pass-catcher throughout the offseason, establishing a rapport with quarterback Russell Wilson early on.

"We were surprised at how comfortable he was in the passing game -- getting in and out of breaks and sense of spacing -- and his hands are really, really good," Carroll said. "Russell clicked with him right off the bat, and we saw it right away. We were really pleased that he was more of an all-around player."

Wide receiver Doug Baldwin said Vannett reminded him of former Seahawks tight end Zach Miller, a "true professional in every facet" who started with the team for parts of four seasons starting in 2011, including Seattle's Super Bowl XLVIII-winning squad in 2013.

"(Vannett is) a little bit faster than Zach was when he was here, but he has great hands, can block well, understands the schemes, understands his role in the offense," Baldwin said. "We can put him anywhere and he's going to be very successful. And also his work ethic off the field -- that stood out to me right away. In that facet he's very similar to Zach Miller as well."

In addition to Vannett, Seattle will likely lean on fourth-year pro Brandon Williams, who has appeared in five games for the team thus far, seeing action primarily on special teams (he had a team-high 26 special-teams snaps in Sunday's win). According to Vannett, Williams will get the first chance at filling Willson's hybrid fullback/H-back role.

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