Seahawks Draft DE Mike Morris, Emphasize Physicality, Versatility Once Again

On the heels of a breakout year that could have been even better without an ankle injury, the Seattle Seahawks are banking on Mike Morris' best football being in front of him as an interior rusher and stout run defender.

Continuing to overhaul their defensive line on day three of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks used a second consecutive selection on a defensive tackle, adding Michigan standout Mike Morris to the mix with the 151st overall pick in the fifth round.

Playing all over the line everywhere from outside linebacker to 3-tech defensive tackle for the Wolverines, Morris broke out in a major way as a junior after playing sparingly in his first two years on campus. Despite being hampered by a high ankle sprain towards the tail end of the 2022 season, he finished with career-highs with 7.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, and three swatted passes.

A versatile defender with extensive experience playing with his hand in the dirt as well as standing up off the edge, Morris plays a physical brand of football with violent, active hands, allowing him to pop blockers off the snap and shed to make plays at the line of scrimmage. Though he can have issues being upright at times, he plays with sound leverage and his relentless motor helps him recover if he loses initially.

As a pass rusher, Morris has decent burst out of his stance at 290-plus pounds and excels at turning speed into power as a bull rusher, often wreaking havoc shooting inside and creating headaches for guards in pass protection. In the interior, he has enough juice to penetrate gaps and get upfield quickly to collapse the pocket, helping him generate 37 pressures and an excellent 20.5 percent win rate last year per Pro Football Focus.

While he played quite a bit off tackle at Michigan, Morris likely projects as an inside-only player in Seattle's 3-4 scheme. He ran a slow 4.95 40-yard dash at the combine and posted a poor 28.5-inch vertical jump, casting questions about his overall athletic profile to play outside in the league.

Away from potential athleticism concerns that could limit his flexibility to an extent in the pros, Morris has a lean lower body for a player of his size and against stronger guards and tackles, he can get knocked off his spot in the run game. As a result, he may not be the best fit taking on two-gapping, mirror-stepping responsibilities where he's required to stack and shed.

Heading into the draft, Seattle only had three healthy defensive tackles on the roster. Joining fourth-round pick Cameron Young on the depth chart, Morris will have a shot to carve out an impactful role as a reserve 3-tech defensive tackle behind veterans Dre'Mont Jones and Jarran Reed. Specifically, his pass rushing upside should open the door for substantial situational reps from the interior early with the potential for him to start in time.

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