Analysis: 3 Undrafted Free Agents With Best Chance to Make Seahawks 53-Man Roster

With Seattle selecting nine players in the 2022 NFL Draft, it won't be an easy task for an undrafted rookie to earn a roster spot in August. But three players stand out as early candidates to beat the odds.

Since Pete Carroll and John Schneider first arrived in 2010, few NFL franchises have found greater success mining the undrafted ranks for gems than the Seahawks.

Over the last 12 years, receivers Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, defensive end Michael Bennett, and defensive tackle Poona Ford headline a star-studded group of undrafted free agents who emerged as key contributors in Seattle. In the case of Baldwin and Bennett, both players earned multiple Pro Bowl selections with the organization and helped lead the team to back-to-back Super Bowl appearances in 2013 and 2014. Ford, meanwhile, has started 48 games in four seasons since going undrafted out of Texas.

Last season, after making only three selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, the Seahawks found a quality tackle in the undrafted pool in California's Jake Curhan, who wound up starting five games at right tackle late in the season and performed admirably. Army linebacker Jon Rhattigan also made the team as a special teams stalwart and made 10 tackles in 14 games.

With the offseason program now in full swing and rookie minicamp in the books, making Seattle's final 53-man roster will be a far tougher task for undrafted free agents this season after the team selected nine players in the 2022 NFL Draft. Even with Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner now out of town, there likely won't be quite as many roster spots up for grabs as a year ago.

But as the Seahawks transition into a new era and embark on a youth movement, these three players have staked an early claim as the favorites to join Ford, Curhan, and Rhattigan as the next UDFAs to make the cut.

Vi Jones, LB, North Carolina State

There's been much discussion about K.J. Wright potentially returning to the Seahawks and coach Pete Carroll didn't do anything to shut the door on such speculation on Sunday. But interestingly, Jones, whose father Robert played for three Super Bowl champions with the Cowboys and two brothers Cayleb and Zay each played in the league, conjured up comparisons to the veteran linebacker sporting his No. 50 during the team's minicamp this weekend.

Though he isn't as big as Wright at 6-foot-2, 225 pounds, Jones similarly has long 33-inch arms and per Relative Athletic Scores, his athletic testing numbers proved superior across the board. At North Carolina State's pro day, he ran a 4.52 40-yard dash and a 6.93 3-cone drill while jumping vertically 36 inches. If there's an area where he struggled, he only posted 11 reps of 225 pounds on the bench press and his 4.31 short shuttle was considered an average time for the position.

After starting his career as a four-star recruit at USC, Jones transferred after the 2018 season and joined the Wolfpack in 2020, immediately making his mark on defense and special teams. Along with 35 tackles and 3.0 sacks, he tied for first in the nation with three blocked kicks. To close out his career, he posted 45 tackles, 6.0 sacks, and eight tackles for loss in 2021.

Following the conclusion of rookie minicamp, Carroll told reporters Jones "looked the part" and clearly made a great first impression.

“He's got a good general background of what he's played, and you can see, he's got a lot of athleticism. He's really fast, really fits the bill," Carroll said. "One of the guys that wasn't the draft picks that I totally picked up on, was excited to see him, and you can picture, he could be a special teamer. He could play a little bit outside, play a little inside backer for you, if you need him to, and he'll be able to match up with guys. So he had a good camp. A really good camp.”

Since Seattle released Bobby Wagner in March, Ben Burr-Kirven and Jon Rhattigan are returning from torn ACLs, and the team didn't draft any linebackers, Jones could be poised to see substantial snaps as an off-ball linebacker in training camp and the preseason. If he capitalizes on those reps and makes an impact on special teams as he did in college, he has a great chance to earn a spot on the team.

Shamarious Gilmore, G, Georgia State

One of the most overlooked offensive linemen in the college ranks, Gilmore became an instant starter for the Panthers as a redshirt freshman and wound up starting 60 games over the next five seasons with the program. During that span, he logged more than 4,000 offensive snaps and earned All-Sun Belt honors each season, including First-Team distinction in 2020 and 2021.

Despite being a bit on the smaller end of the spectrum for an interior NFL lineman at 6-foot-2, 301 pounds, Gilmore produced 36 reps on the bench press at Georgia State's pro day. Most impressively, he ran the 3-cone drill in 7.39 seconds, showing off outstanding agility and change of direction drills. In comparison, Seahawks fourth-round cornerback Coby Bryant posted a 7.31 time in that same drill at 193 pounds. Per Relative Athletic Score, his bench press, 20-yard split, and 3-cone testing were all elite for his position and he scored an 8.20 overall.

On the field, Gilmore helped pave the way for the top four rushing seasons in Georgia State's history, including averaging 223 rushing yards per game over his final three seasons on campus. On nearly 2,000 career pass blocking snaps, he also allowed only eight sacks and never yielded more than three in a single season. In addition, he served as a team captain each of his final two years.

"He's played a ton of football. He's a good ball player, and he's been a leader in the program, and you can tell he's got a good awareness about him and good presence, and so we're happy to have him coming back," Carroll said of Gilmore. "You don't have enough guys ever, so hopefully he'll be able to fit into it.”

Given his ample experience and athletic profile, Gilmore should have a chance to battle for one of the last roster spots along the offensive line behind starters Damien Lewis and Gabe Jackson. Down the line, the Seahawks may even explore the possibility of trying him out at center, a position he didn't play at the college level but certainly could be capable of excelling at.

Bubba Bolden, SS, Miami

On paper, the Seahawks don't necessarily have a need for safety help with starters Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams under contract through 2024 and reserves Ryan Neal, Marquise Blair, and Ugo Amadi returning. But in the present, Diggs, Adams, and Blair are all recovering from surgeries and may miss part or all of the offseason program in the process. Meanwhile, Neal, Blair, and Amadi are all slated to be unrestricted free agents next March.

With those questions marks both short and long-term, it shouldn't come as a surprise Seattle signed four undrafted safeties, including Bolden. The former Bishop Gorman High School star began his career at USC before being suspended for the 2018 season and then transferred to Miami, where he blossomed into a Second-Team All-ACC contributor with 74 tackles, four forced fumbles, and two blocked kicks in 2020.

Unfortunately, the hard-hitting 6-foot-2, 209-pound Bolden missed five games due to a shoulder injury last season and wasn't as productive when healthy, which caused him to slide out of the draft completely. But the Seahawks wasted little time signing him as a priority undrafted free agent and he offers the athletic traits and physical playing style to emerge as an eventual contributor on special teams and potentially defense.

At the NFL combine, Bolden ran a speedy 4.47 40-yard dash and posted a respectable 116-inch broad jump. Then at Miami's pro day, he put up decent numbers in the short shuttle (4.20) and 3-cone (7.09) while adding 15 reps on the bench press, a positive sign coming off his shoulder injury.

Partaking in Seattle's rookie minicamp, Bolden showed off his range playing deep safety while also playing up in the box some. He should get a chance to show what he can do as a versatile safety this spring, particularly with several veterans sidelined at the position, and his best chance to make the team will come down to how he performs on kick and punt coverage units.

"Bubba (Bolden) did some good stuff, ranging around back there, showed us some instincts and all that," Carroll said. "That's what we're looking for, and then we got to figure out which guys we can bring back and all that.”