Seahawks 2025 NFL Draft: 5 Defensive Senior Bowl Prospects to Watch

Many of the best prospects in the nation have gathered in Mobile for the annual Senior Bowl. Which defensive players could pique interest from the Seahawks?
Jan 28, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team defensive back Maxen Hook of Toledo (25) gets set during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
Jan 28, 2025; Mobile, AL, USA; National team defensive back Maxen Hook of Toledo (25) gets set during Senior Bowl practice for the National team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images / Vasha Hunt-Imagn Images
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Kicking off the annual pre-draft process, all-star showcases for top NFL prospects officially opened this week, including the Senior Bowl kicking off in Mobile on Monday.

In the past, few executives have valued the Senior Bowl more than Seahawks general manager John Schneider, including selecting five players who participated in Mobile last January in the 2024 NFL Draft. Among those, linebacker Tyrice Knight and tight end AJ Barner made significant contributions as rookies, continuing a trend of positive reward for drafting players who excelled in the showcase against elite competition.

Looking at this year's crop of prospects, which offensive players could intrigue Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald at the 2025 Senior Bowl? Here are five offensive players to keep a close eye on who could wind up on the franchise's radar as a potential draft choice in April:

Yahya Black, DT, Iowa

Built like a traditional nose tackle at 6-5, 337 pounds while having the athleticism to move around a bit on the defensive front, Black plays a feisty, physical brand of football and loves to mix it up with foes in the trenches. An immoveable object who uses his incredibly long 35-inch arms to his advantage overpowering opposing blockers, he emerged as one of the best run stuffers in the country in the middle of the Hawkeyes' defense, ranking seventh among defensive linemen with 24 run stops and ninth with a 9.3 percent run stop rate as a senior.

But Black is far from just a space eating run stuffer, as he grew into his frame with a surprisingly polished pass rushing toolbox and a fearsome bull rush. In his final two seasons in Iowa City, he contributed 35 pressures, 4.5 sacks, and five batted passes at the line of scrimmage, making his presence felt as a bullying interior pass rusher. If those numbers translate to his on-field play in Mobile, he has a chance to climb into early day two territory and would be a fascinating prospect to supplant Johnathan Hankins and play next to Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy in Seattle.

Princely Umanmielen, EDGE, Ole Miss

Transferring within the SEC from Florida to Ole Miss prior to his senior season, Umanmielen terrorized quarterbacks in his lone year in Oxford, using a blistering initial step and the ability to translate speed into power to consistently beat opposing blockers and find his way into the pocket. After a breakout final year in Gainesville, he posted new career-bests with 55 pressures, 10.5 sacks, and 16 quarterback hits, finishing in the top 10 in the nation in the final two categories. He also demonstrated marked improvement against the run stacking up 14 tackles for loss.

Putting some size concerns to rest, Umanmielen stood out as one of the biggest winners in Mobile by measuring in at an impressive 6-4, 264 pounds with 34 1/4-inch arms. He has the look of a dynamic presence walking off the bus and with that build, he should be able to excel in either a 4-3 or 3-4 scheme at outside linebacker or defensive end. The key will be proving he can hold up physically against the run with consistency and this week will provide another audition opportunity for him to potentially play his way into first round discussion.

Mike Green, EDGE, Marshall

A textbook example of a late bloomer, Green didn't play much in one season at Virginia before transferring to Marshall, where he evolved from a curiosity into a potential first round sleeper over the past two seasons. After producing only 4.5 sacks in 2023, he exploded with an FBS-best 17.5 sacks for the Thundering Herd as a redshirt sophomore last season, frequently screaming off the edge and blowing by blockers with an elite speed rush and highly efficient rip/dip move to devour quarterbacks. He also packs an underrated punch in the power game, catching unsuspecting tackles with a right hook from time to time.

While scouts questioned if Green had the body to handle the rigors of playing in the NFL, he silenced critics by weighing in at 251 pounds in Mobile. Putting more water on those proverbial flames, he held up fine physically at the college level against the run on film, leading the nation with 32 run stops and finishing second with 42 solo tackles versus the run. Off to a fast start at the Senior Bowl resembling his elite get off from the line of scrimmage, dominating throughout the week could lock up a first round selection and even make him a dark horse for the Seahawks to pick at 18 overall.

Cody Lindenberg, LB, Minnesota

Rebounding from an injury-shortened 2023 season, Lindenberg turned in a rock solid senior campaign for the Golden Gophers, registering 94 total tackles, a sack, an interception, and five pass breakups, earning First-Team All-Big Ten recognition. Possessing good size at 239 pounds and plus instincts, he has a nose for the football in the run game and excelled in coverage, allowing zero touchdowns in his college career with seven total passes defensed. He flashed as a blitzer as well, though Minnesota didn't ask him to do that much.

Few players have stood out more than Lindenberg in the first two days of practices, including picking off a pass during the team scrimmage period on Tuesday. In a relatively thin linebacker class lacking starter-caliber players, he could be on the cusp of a Jack Campbell-like meteoric rise heading towards April's draft, though a day two selection likely seems most probable for him right now. Depending on whether Ernest Jones is re-signed or not, he could be a target for the Seahawks as early as the second round.

Maxen Hook, S, Toledo

Coming from the MAC, Hook may not be on the radar for most casual fans, but the versatile safety played his way into a deserved Senior Bowl spot with a fantastic senior season for the Rockets. Playing more than 240 snaps in the box as well as a free safety, he racked up 107 total tackles, a tackle for loss, and two interceptions, garnering First-Team All-Mac distinction. A physical defender who plays above his weight class, he recorded 62 tackles against the run with just four missed tackles all year long, sticking his helmet into the fight with great efficiency.

If there's an area of potential concern in Hook's game, coverage has been more hit-and-miss for him, as he allowed seven touchdowns and nearly 14 yards per reception over the past three seasons. However, he has demonstrated quality ball hawking skills that NFL teams covet with seven interceptions and 12 pass breakups during that span as well. Like most smaller school prospects, he stands to make a lot of money with a great week in Mobile and given his positional flexibility, he could be an intriguing day three developmental option for the Seahawks' secondary.

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Corbin K. Smith
CORBIN K. SMITH

Graduating from Manchester College in 2012, Smith began his professional career as a high school Economics teacher in Indianapolis and launched his own NFL website covering the Seahawks as a hobby. After teaching and coaching high school football for five years, he transitioned to a full-time sports reporter in 2017, writing for USA Today's Seahawks Wire while continuing to produce the Legion of 12 podcast. He joined the Arena Group in August 2018 and also currently hosts the daily Locked On Seahawks podcast with Rob Rang and Nick Lee. Away from his coverage of the Seahawks and the NFL, Smith dabbles in standup comedy, is a heavy metal enthusiast and previously performed as lead vocalist for a metal band, and enjoys distance running and weight lifting. A habitual commuter, he resides with his wife Natalia in Colorado and spends extensive time reporting from his second residence in the Pacific Northwest.