Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: LB Patrick O'Connell - Diamond in the Middle?
With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities well underway 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, I will 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.
Patrick O'Connell, Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-1, 227 pounds
2022 Stats*: 73 tackles, eight sacks, two interceptions, 14 tackles for loss
*College stats at Montana
Leaving campus as one of the most decorated defenders in program history, O'Connell stuffed the stat sheet and trophy case in four seasons at Montana. Playing significant snaps as a redshirt sophomore after transferring from the University of Mary, he posted 56 tackles, a team-high 6.5 sacks, and 7.5 tackles for loss. After only playing in two games during an abbreviated COVID spring season in 2020-21, he broke out with a monster junior season, earning First-Team All-Big Sky honors after leading the conference with 14 sacks and posting 22 tackles for loss.
Despite missing three games due to injury as a redshirt senior in 2022, O'Connell once again garnered First-Team All-Big Sky distinction leading the conference in sacks and tackles for loss. He wrapped up his illustrious career with the Grizzlies ranked fourth in program history in tackles for loss and sixth all-time in sacks, earning an invite to the 2023 Hula Bowl before eventually signing with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.
Best-Case Scenario: With his playmaking skills translating well to the NFL on defense as well as kick and punt coverage units, O'Connell enjoys a strong preseason tallying double-digit tackles, a sack, and a pass breakup in coverage, beating out Jon Rhattigan and Vi Jones for a final roster spot as a core special teams player.
Worst-Case Scenario: Battling persistent issues working off blocks at under 230 pounds and stuck behind Rhattigan and Jones on the depth chart, O'Connell is waived in late August and doesn't sign with the practice squad, putting his NFL future in flux.
What to Expect in 2023: Undrafted linebackers coming from Montana have a bit of a history with the Seahawks, as Brock Coyle won a roster spot behind Bobby Wagner as a rookie in 2014 and actually started two games that season. While that doesn't really have any bearing on whether or not O'Connell will replicate that feat, his production as a run stopper, pass rusher, and coverage linebacker at the FCS level can't be overlooked when considering him as a sleeper to watch this summer.
Long-term, Seattle has Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, and Devin Bush all scheduled to become free agents next spring, leaving an opening for a player such as O'Connell to play himself into plans beyond 2023 with a strong training camp. With those three players as well as Rhattigan and Jones on the roster, however, he will have to be dominant in August to have a chance at making the initial roster and a redshirt season on the practice squad seems most likely.
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
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