Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: EDGE Uchenna Nwosu - Best Yet to Come?

Still an ascending player closing in on his sixth NFL season, Uchenna Nwosu has sights set on improving upon his career-best pass rushing numbers from a year ago with the Seattle Seahawks to help them close the gap in the NFC West and land a mega contract in 2024.

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jul 24, 2023 10:20 AM EDT

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Seattle Seahawks

With the calendar flipping to July and offseason activities in the rearview mirror, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC later this month, 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.

Uchenna Nwosu, EDGE

Height/Weight: 6-2, 251 pounds

2022 Stats: 66 tackles, 9.5 sacks, 12 tackles for loss

The textbook definition of steady development, Nwosu has gradually improved each of his first five seasons since being selected by the Chargers as a second-round pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. Initially a situational pass rushing reserve early in his career, he enjoyed a breakout starting across from Joey Bosa in his first year as a full-time starter in 2021, setting personal-highs in tackles, sacks, and pressures. Bolstering his stock heading towards free agency, the Seahawks aggressively pursued him once the new league year opened and signed him to a two-year contract, immediately installing him into the starting lineup across from Darrell Taylor.

Proving well worth the investment, Nwosu started his time in Seattle off with a bang by sacking Russell Wilson and forcing a goal line fumble in a Week 1 win over Denver. Thriving in the team's 3-4 scheme, he produced seven sacks and 15 quarterback hits in the first nine regular season games, emerging as a dark horse All-Pro candidate. Though his sack production waned in the second half, he still had 11 quarterback hits in the final eight games and racked up three tackles for loss in a wild card loss to San Francisco, capping off a brilliant first year in the Pacific Northwest with a stellar performance in defeat.

Best-Case Scenario: Climbing another rung on the ladder to become a Pro Bowler and Second-Team All-Pro for the first time, the high-energy Nwosu tortures opposing quarterbacks all year long leading the Seahawks with 12.5 sacks and 68 pressures while also continuing to play stout defense off the edge against the run, setting himself up for a massive pay day next spring.

Worst-Case Scenario: While Nwosu remains an effective starter and still hits double digits for tackles for loss in a solid all-around campaign, the arrival of Derick Hall coupled with the return of Taylor and Boye Mafe cuts into his workload enough in a rotation-heavy group that he isn't quite able to replicate his sack and pressure numbers from a breakout 2022.

What to Expect in 2023: Halfway through his two-year pact signed in March 2022, Nwosu has a lot at stake heading into a contract year. To this point, he has gradually increased his numbers in each of his first five seasons, transforming from a situational reserve into a quality NFL starter at his position with a top-flight motor and well-rounded game both against the run and the pass, which will give him good value to potential suitors if he maintains his production level in 2023 and proves last year's improvement is sustainable.

But entering his age-27 season, to earn himself top-10 edge rusher money in Seattle or elsewhere, Nwosu will have to show he has what it takes to evolve into an ace pitcher in the rotation. If he can find a way to take another significant step forward as a rusher by increasing his win rate and turning a handful more of his pressures into sacks and quarterback hits, his ascent could be a catalyst for a major turnaround by the team's defense as a whole while also securing his place as one of the most coveted players on the market next spring.

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