Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: DE Mike Morris - Lengthy, High-Motor Nightmare?

One of the most intriguing newcomers to come to the Pacific Northwest thanks to his size, length, and charisma, Mike Morris hopes to etch out a significant role right away along the Seattle Seahawks defensive line.

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities wrapping up league-wide, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than two months, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of 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 2023 campaign.

Mike Morris, Defensive End

Height/Weight: 6-6, 292 pounds

2022 Stats*: 23 tackles, 7.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss

*College stats at Michigan

Committing to Michigan as a three-star recruit out of American Heritage High School in Belle Grade, Florida, Morris only played in a single game in his first two collegiate seasons, registering one tackle in a conference matchup against Wisconsin in 2020. With several quality defensive linemen entering the NFL, he finally received his chance to shine in 2021, appearing in all 14 games for the Wolverines with 17 tackles, a sack, an interception, and a pass breakup, flashing promise playing both off the edge and reduced inside as a defensive tackle.

Breaking out in a major way despite playing through an ankle injury late in the 2022 season, Morris led Michigan in sacks and tackles for loss, helping the program earn a spot in the college football playoff. Still recovering from his injury, he didn't test well at the NFL combine, but the Seahawks snagged him in the fifth-round with plans of playing the tall, lengthy defender inside full time.

Best-Case Scenario: Acclimating to his new surroundings quickly, Morris' length and athleticism make him an instant nightmare for guards to block, allowing him to register a pair of sacks and three tackles for loss during the preseason and setting himself up nicely to play a key rotational role behind veteran starters Dre'Mont Jones and Jarran Reed.

Worst-Case Scenario: Dealing with growing pains adjusting to playing inside exclusively, Morris gets pushed around at times and struggles with the leverage battle due to his height, leading to a limited role as a backup out of the gate with Myles Adams and Mario Edwards receiving most of the snaps with the second unit.

What to Expect in 2023: Unlike some of Seattle's day three draft picks, Morris landed in an ideal spot to secure a roster spot right away in a rebuilt defensive line littered with question marks. With few proven commodities away from Jones and Reed in the trenches, reps will be up for grabs and if he's able to factor into the team's pass rush from the 3-tech spot early and play with a relentless motor as he did in college, he should be able to latch onto a significant rotational role from the outset.

Of course, Morris' transition inside won't necessarily be a slam dunk after playing mostly off the edge in his final season with the Wolverines. Along with being disruptive splitting gaps, he will have to demonstrate enough play strength at the point of attack to hold up against the run and play assignment-sound football with gap responsibilities to earn playing time. Nonetheless, it would take an awful training camp and preseason for him not to make the Seahawks roster and over time, he should emerge as a key contributor in the trenches for the team as he gains experience and becomes more comfortable at his new position.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles

Montrae Braswell | John Hall | Bryant Koback | Cam Bright | Jacob Sykes | Benjie Franklin | Tyjon Lindsey | Austin Faoliu | Kendall Randolph | Ty Okada | Patrick O'Connell | Arquon Bush | Chris Stoll | MJ Anderson | Noah Gindorff | Christian Young | Jalen McKenzie | Griffin Hebert | Lance Boykin | Jonathan Sutherland | Easop Winston | Greg Eiland | Mo Osling III | Jake Bobo | James Campbell | Jonah Tavai | Joshua Onujiogu | Holton Ahlers | Joey Hunt | Tyler Mabry | Isaiah Dunn | Tyreke Smith | Cody Thompson | Vi Jones | Cade Johnson | Joey Blount | Matt Landers | Jon Rhattigan | Alton Robinson | Artie Burns | Jake Curhan | Jerrick Reed II

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