Seahawks 90-Man Roster Rundown: Will Dissly

Usually regarded as a blocking tight end, Dissly will look to recapture some of his pass-catching production shown in his first two injury-shortened seasons and live up to his new contract with the Seahawks.

Ted Zahn | Jul 16, 2022

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason programs wrapped up across the country, NFL training camps will begin around the NFL in less than a month's 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.

Will Dissly, Tight End

Height/Weight: 6-foot-4, 265 pounds

2021 Stats: 21 receptions, 231 yards, one touchdown

After playing sparingly in his first two seasons at the University of Washington, Dissly switched positions from defensive line to tight end. Despite limited production over his final two seasons as a Husky, that decision would prove to be a stroke of genius as he was drafted by the Seahawks in the fourth round of the 2018 NFL Draft. Seen as mostly a blocking tight end, Dissly burst onto the scene with three catches for 105 yards and a touchdown in his NFL debut against the Denver Broncos. In what would be an unfortunate harbinger of things to come, Dissly’s rookie season was cut short by a torn patellar tendon in Week 4 against the Arizona Cardinals. He persevered through that rehab and was back on the field in time for the 2019 regular season. Through six games, Dissly had 23 receptions for 262 yards and four touchdowns. During that sixth game, however, he tore his Achilles tendon and was out for the year again. He once again had a successful rehab and was active for the 2020 season opener. His receiving stats have not been as impressive as his first two seasons, but he has been much healthier as he has played in 31 of a possible 33 games the last two years. The Seahawks re-signed him to a three-year, $24 million contract in March.

Best Case Scenario: Playing opposite Noah Fant in two tight end sets in Waldron’s offense, Dissly uses his savvy and strong hands to record his most productive season yet with over 300 yards receiving and five touchdowns. He also helps the young tackles pave the way in the run game.

Worst Case Scenario: Dissly's run of luck with two healthy seasons in a row ends and he hits the injured reserve list in 2022, missing half of the season. Thankfully, the injury isn’t long term, and he comes back to play at the end of the season – but his statistics don’t live up to the expectations placed on him with the new contract.

What to Expect in 2022: Dissly put to rest some of the injury concerns from early in his career the last two years by playing in 31 of a possible 33 regular season games. However, those extra snaps and games played didn’t necessarily translate into more receiving production. He averaged 41.8 yards per game in his first two seasons and had six touchdowns compared to 15.55 yards per game and three touchdowns the previous two seasons. The hope is that Waldron will utilize the tight ends more than he did in 2022, and Dissly makes a great one-two punch along with Noah Fant. Dissly is not a burner by any means, but he is very savvy finding soft spots in the defense and has excellent hands. He’s a fantastic red zone option and could be a great safety blanket for Drew Lock or Geno Smith. Regardless of his receiving production, Dissly’s main calling card is his blocking ability which will be put to good use assisting rookie tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas. “Uncle Will” is also looked at as one of the leaders on offense and will be tasked with helping them transition to life after Russell Wilson.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Roster Profiles

Published Jul 16, 2022

TED ZAHN