Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Cade Johnson

Exploding onto the scene with a dominant final two years at South Dakota State, Johnson's inconsistent draft process forced him into undrafted free agency. Landing a deal with the Seahawks, could the impressive small-school product break through to a spot on the 53-man roster?

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than two months. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Cade Johnson, Receiver

Height/Weight: 5-foot-10, 184 pounds

2020 Stats: N/A

Opting to forego his senior year after his conference's season was postponed to the spring, it was initially believed Johnson would be a day two or early day three selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. But after dominating the Senior Bowl, he tested poorly at his pro day and saw his draft stock plummet. That said, it was still a surprise to see the South Dakota State product go completely undrafted, falling into the laps of a Seahawks team that had picked just three times in the event and needed more receiving depth. Putting up 2,554 yards and 25 touchdowns on 139 receptions in his final two years in college, his strong route running and after-the-catch ability should push him near the front of the line of a deep receiving competition in Seattle. 

Best Case Scenario: Impressing in camp and the preseason, Johnson jumps out ahead of a nine-man race for one or two roster spots and secures a role as a backup slot receiver while also seeing action on special teams.

Worst Case Scenario: The size and athletic concerns that caused him to go undrafted come to light and Johnson fails to overcome the momentum built by the likes of Penny Hart, Cody Thompson, and others, likely exposing him to the waiver wire following post-preseason roster cuts.

What to Expect in 2021: Johnson might be the most hyped-up undrafted free agent the Seahawks signed this spring, bringing an advanced toolset that addresses a few of the team's weaknesses in 2020. But making the 53-man roster won't be a walk in the park, not only because of the depth Seattle has but the limited game opportunities that depth presents. If he's healthy and gets a long look, however, he has the talent both as a receiver and kick returner to put on a show this August and leave no doubt in the minds of Pete Carroll and his staff about his place on the roster. 

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primers

Alex McGough | Darvin Kidsy | Greg Eiland | Joshua Moon | Cam Sutton | Walter Palmore | Jared Hocker | Brad Lundblade | Aashari Crosswell | Myles Adams | Jon Rhattigan | Aaron Fuller | Bryan Mills I Jake Curhan | Jarrod Hewitt | Connor Wedington | Nate Evans | Danny Etling | John Ursua | Gavin Heslop | Pier-Oliver Lestage | Tamorrion Terry | Tommy Champion | Cody Thompson | Josh Johnson | Saivion Smith | Jordan Miller | Aaron Donkor | Robert Nkemdiche | Alex Collins | Tyler Mabry