Seahawks 90-Man Roster Rundown: Bubba Bolden

After a tumultuous college career at both USC and Miami, Bolden looks to capitalize on his raw talent and athleticism with a spot on the 53-man roster.

Tyler Forness | Jun 24, 2022

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason programs wrapping up across the country, NFL training camps will begin around the NFL in less than two months time. To celebrate the new incoming season, the All Seahawks staff 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 2022 campaign.

Bubba Bolden, Safety

Height/Weight: 6-foot-2, 209 pounds

2021 Stats*: 42 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, two passes defended, 1.0 sacks

*College stats at Miami (FL)

After transferring from USC, Bolden enjoyed a nice career for Miami. A starter over three seasons, he saw a lot of success on the backend of the Hurricanes defense when healthy. During his three seasons in Coral Gables, Bolden missed 14 games during the last three years, including suffering two season-ending injuries. In 2019, he injured his ankle while celebrating a teammate's interception, causing him to play in only six games. Bolden played in all 11 games in 2020 but only in the first seven of 2021. He tore his shoulder in Week 2, but tried to gut it out. He lasted until the seventh game before calling it quits and getting surgery. The injury history among other things caused him to be undrafted, but he brings a well-rounded game with him to the NFL that could give him a chance to shine in Seattle.

Best Case Scenario: Bolden puts the injuries behind him and can stay consistent in the open field as a tackler and in coverage. His shoulder injury in 2021 hindered his performance, especially when tackling. His size could also open up opportunities as a hybrid defender in three safety looks, increasing his odds of at least earning a practice squad spot.

Worst Case Scenario: The glut of safeties on the Seahawks' roster currently limit opportunities for Bolden to get on the field in training camp and the preseason. When he does play, his tackling issues that plagued him at Miami could limit those opportunities even more, pushing him down the depth chart and leading to an outright release with no practice squad placement.

What To Expect In 2022: The talent and athleticism (4.47 40-yard dash) of Bolden is undeniable, but there is a great deal that he needs to fix in order to become a viable NFL player. Seattle's practice squad feels likely for Bolden due to his raw talent, as he was a high school All-American at Bishop Gorman and a highly-ranked recruit before earning Second-Team All-ACC honors at Miami in 2020. With some coaching and a bill of good health, Bolden could end up being a valuable asset to the Seahawks in a year or two when several of their veteran reserves may be playing elsewhere.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Profiles

Published Jun 24, 2022

TYLER FORNESS