Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Can Lance Boykin Stick Around in Loaded CB Room?

After sitting on the practice squad for most of last season, Lance Boykin is returning to a talent-infused defensive secondary in his second season. Can he set himself apart from the other young cornerbacks?

Oct 2, 2021; Conway, South Carolina, USA; Coastal Carolina Chanticleers cornerback Lance Boykin (7) runs back a pass interception at Brooks Stadium. / David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports

With OTAs now opening across the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in just under two months, officially ushering in the first season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

In preparation for the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, diving into scheme fits, exploring best- and worst-case scenarios and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2024 campaign.

With a loaded cornerback room that is already teeming with talent, can 2023 undrafted free agent Lance Boykin impress the coaching staff enough to stick around on the Seahawks roster?

Background

Rated a two-star recruit out of High Point Christian Academy, Boykin committed to Conference USA’s Old Dominion and played his freshman and sophomore seasons there, making nine starts and recording 54 tackles, two interceptions, and five pass breakups. After the 2020 season was canceled due to COVID-19, Boykin transferred to Coastal Carolina and made 14 starts — including all 11 games of his senior season in 2022. Breaking out in his final college season, he notched 58 total tackles, two interceptions, eight passes defensed, and two tackles for loss, earning Second-Team All-Sun Belt distinction and playing in the 2023 East-West Shrine Bowl. Boykin spent most of the 2023 season on Seattle’s practice squad before being elevated to the active roster for the Seahawks Week 4 game against the New York Giants, logging two snaps on defense and eight on special teams without recording any statistics.

Scheme Fit

Physically, Boykin is a prototype NFL cornerback at 6-2, 198 pounds. He played 86.3 percent of his defensive snaps on the boundary with Coastal Carolina in 2022, according to Pro Football Focus, limiting him almost exclusively to a job on the outside. He doesn’t match that skill set with his straight-line speed, running a 4.72 40-yard dash at the NFL combine. He does, however, have the length to make up for it if the technique and instincts are there — both of which have flashed, at times, during his career. With much quicker outside corners on the Seahawks roster, Boykin will have to shine with his ball skills or on special teams.

Best Case Scenario

If Boykin shows enough upside and noticeable improvement in his mechanics from a full season on an NFL practice squad, he could land there again as Seattle’s coaching staff continues to try and develop him. Boykin did show upside in stopping the run game in college, so it's also possible Mike Macdonald and the coaching staff view him as more versatile than his usage has been thus far.

Worst Case Scenario

With an influx of defensive back talent on Seattle’s roster — a few of whom have a similar skill set to Boykin with more athleticism — his raw talent isn’t enough to get him brought back on the Seahawks practice squad after being cut in late August.

What to Expect in 2024

It’s hard to imagine fifth-round pick Nehemiah Pritchett, who is 6-1, 184 pounds and possesses 4.36 40-yard dash speed, not being Seattle’s favored candidate in the battle between young, lanky, outside cornerbacks against Boykin. Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Tre Brown and Mike Jackson are roster locks, all of whom played significant time for Seattle last season. At least two others between Artie Burns, Pritchett, and sixth-round pick DJ James are likely to crack the 53-man roster, with a third probably headed to the practice squad. Hybrid defensive back Coby Bryant can also play both cornerback and safety, which gives him an edge.

This means Boykin will likely have to beat out Fresno State rookie Carlton Johnson, Arizona State rookie Ro Torrence for a final practice squad spot unless Mike Macdonald and his staff choose to let go of all three with the positional versatility that the team’s safety room currently has. At this stage, returning to the practice squad seems to be the best Boykin can hope for with the Seahawks.

Previous 90-Man Roundups

Buddha Jones | Devin Richardson | TaMerik Williams | Rason Williams II | Ro Torrence | Nathan Pickering | Dee Williams | Devere Levelston | Kobe Lewis | Sunny Anderson | Mike Novitsky | Max Pincher | Easton Gibbs | Hayden Hatten | Garret Greenfield| Carlton Johnson| Matt Gotel |George Holani | Cody White | Ty Okada | Drake Thomas | McClendon Curtis | Easop Winston Jr. | Nelson Ceaser | Jonathan Sutherland