Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Is Mike Jerrell Ready to Push For Roster Spot?

Though he will be tested making a huge jump from Division II to the NFL, Mike Jerrell has all of the physical tools and athletic traits to exceed expectations for the Seahawks.

Seahawks rookie tackle Mike Jerrell listens to instructions from coach Scott Huff during OTAs at the VMAC. / Corbin Smith/All Seahawks

With OTAs wrapping up 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.

A surprise draft pick coming out of Findlay, could Mike Jerrell surprise and be more NFL-ready than expected vying for a roster spot as a rookie?

Background

A late bloomer at Pike High School, Jerrell didn't start full-time on the varsity football team until sliding out to tackle from tight end during his senior season. After watching him dominate on the basketball court, Division II program Findlay offered him a scholarship and over six years with the program, he developed from a 250-pound recruit into a multi-time Division II All-American for the Oilers. Impressing at Ohio State's pro day workout with dynamic athletic testing at 309 pounds and participating in the Hula Bowl all-star showcase, his stock soared to the point where the Seahawks invested a sixth round pick in him in April, adding him to the mix to compete at right tackle.

Scheme Fit

While advanced metrics aren't readily available from the Division II level, Jerrell exclusively played right tackle for Findlay before seeing some snaps inside at guard during the Hula Bowl. Since the Seahawks also drafted Christian Haynes and Sataoa Laumea, staying at tackle seems like his best bet to try and make the roster as a backup with hopes of developing into a capable NFL player.

Best Case Scenario

Possessing elite athletic traits, Jerrell adjusts more smoothly than expected to the major competition jump from Division II to the NFL, putting promising play on film during the preseason as a pass protector and run blocker. In a bit of a stunner, with Stone Forsythe in the final year of his rookie deal, the Seahawks keep the sixth rounder over the returning veteran for the final tackle spot on the 53-man roster with an eye on the future.

Worst Case Scenario

Overmatched trying to block NFL-caliber defenders after playing for a small school program, Jerrell struggles mightily in limited playing time during the preseason, ultimately losing out on snaps to undrafted rookie Garret Greenfield. Still viewed as a high upside player long-term, Seattle re-signs him to the practice squad after final roster cuts along with Greenfield.

What to Expect in 2024

Like any NFL draft pick vaulting from a Division II program to the NFL, Jerrell will have plenty of welcome to the league moments once the pads come on in August when he's tasked with trying to block the likes of Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, and others on the practice field. As a late round pick, the Seahawks should expect such growing pains as he tries to navigate the rough waters early, and in an ideal situation, they would be afforded the chance to "redshirt" him on the practice squad for a year and that probably is the most likely scenario at this stage.

However, Jerrell has a rare athletic profile for a right tackle, offering a blend of size, quickness, and explosiveness that not many other NFL linemen can match. Those tools could allow him to find success quicker than some may anticipate and after a strong week against Division I competition at the Hula Bowl, it's possible he could be ahead of schedule. If that happens and he's able to latch onto coach Scott Huff's teaching, it's not out of the question he could sneak onto Seattle's 53-man roster and depending on his performance in exhibition games, another team could sign him off waivers as a possible starter down the line.

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 Pircher | 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 | Lance Boykin | Joshua Onujiogu | Patrick O'Connell | Jack Westover | Raiqwon O'Neal