Seahawks 90-Man Roster Rundown: Deontai Williams

The 2021 college season didn’t end the way Deontai Williams wanted due to an injured knee, but that situation allowed the Seahawks to scoop up the 2020 and 2021 Honorable-Mention All-Big Ten player after the 2022 NFL Draft as an undrafted free agent.

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.

Deontai Williams, Safety

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 203 pounds

2021 Stats*: 46 tackles, four interceptions, three passes defensed

*College stats at Nebraska

Nebraska struggled to a 3-9 record in 2021, but one of the few bright spots was Williams’ play on the back end of the defense. He reeled in four interceptions, which ranked 11th in the nation despite the safety missing the last four games with a knee injury. He’s also known as an aggressive tackler in the run game and collected 97 tackles over his last two seasons for the Cornhuskers. At 25 years old, Williams’ age may have contributed to him being undrafted and signing with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent, but his physical talents warranted an opportunity to compete in an NFL training camp.

Best Case Scenario: The physical, ball-hawking nature Williams showcased in college when healthy carries over to his play on the special teams units during training camp and the preseason and the Seahawks start him on the practice squad viewing him as a future core special teamer.

Worst Case Scenario: With too many names ahead of him on the depth chart and other undrafted rookies outperforming him in camp, the Seahawks opt for someone younger to groom for special teams and Williams is left looking for a job with another team after the first roster cutdown.

What to Expect in 2022: Safety is one of the strongest positions on this Seahawks roster with Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs both on long-term – and expensive – contracts. Ryan Neal, Marquise Blair, and Ugo Amadi also have experience and could be utilized as a third safety in the revamped Seahawks defense on nickel and dime packages. While safeties are versatile and make excellent additions to the special teams units, Williams faces stiff competition with other UDFAs like Scott Nelson, Joey Blount, and Bubba Bolden for merely a practice squad spot since the depth chart for the active roster may already be set. It's not out of the question he could earn a practice squad spot, but it will be a significant challenge with the talent around him.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Profiles

Kevin Kassis | Cade Brewer | Liam Ryan | Deontez Alexander | Elijah Jones | Josh Turner | Scott Nelson | Joshua Onujiogu | Jarrod Hewitt | Darwin Thompson | Matt Gotel | Lakiem Williams | Tanner Muse | Greg Eiland | Aaron Fuller | Shamarious Gilmore | Cade Johnson