Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Will EDGE Uchenna Nwosu Rebound From Injury?

Coming off his most productive season in the NFL in 2022, Seahawks edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu had his 2023 season cut short due to injury. Will he return to form in 2024?

Oct 30, 2022; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Uchenna Nwosu (10) celebrates following a sack against the New York Giants during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC next week, 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.

Coming off a season-ending injury that limited him to six games in 2023, how will Seahawks edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu bounce back in 2024?

Background

Despite playing linebacker in high school, Nwosu was looked at as a safety by many schools during his college recruiting. Nwosu was rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports, committing to USC and remaining at outside linebacker. He started just one game during his first two years with the Trojans before assuming the starting role as a junior. Breaking out as a senior, Nwosu recorded 75 total tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks, 13 pass deflections and one interception in 2017. Nwosu was selected in the middle of the second round by the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2018 NFL Draft but didn’t catch on as a full-time starter until his final season with the team in 2021. Even with limited playing time, Nwosu compiled 132 total tackles, 21 tackles for loss and 15 sacks with the Chargers in four seasons. Signing a two-year contract with the Seahawks in March 2022, Nwosu immediately was an impact player on the edge and finished the campaign with career-highs in total tackles (66), sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (12). He suffered a torn pectoral muscle in Seattle’s 2023 Week 7 game against Arizona and was ruled out for the season.

Scheme Fit

Nwosu isn’t the strongest edge player you’ll see, but he has the body and leverage control to be equally effective in both pass and run defense. He is key in the run game, particularly in setting the edge and keeping rushers between the tackles. With his added pass-rushing ability, Nwosu is a complete player at his position that will continue to be a stabilizer for Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Best Case Scenario

Free of the injury that sidelined him for most of 2023, Nwosu immediately returns to form in Week 1 of the 2024 season. Working opposite of rising third-year edge rusher Boye Mafe, Nwosu breaks double-digit sacks for the first time in his career while opponents try to account for the threat of both players. Most importantly, though, Nwosu helps Seattle’s run defense be in the middle of the pack instead of the bottom of the NFL.

Worst Case Scenario

As with all of Seattle’s players entering the season off injury, there are two unfavorable options: Nwosu either re-injures his pectoral or regresses because of it. That kind of injury could affect his power with his hands, and that could hinder him from holding blockers in place — one of his greatest strengths so far in his career. This, in a legitimate worst case scenario, could see him benched for Derick Hall if the second-year rusher is showing more promise.

What to Expect in 2024

Nwosu also dealt with a shoulder injury at the end of his tenure with the Chargers, so he’s been through it before. The hope is that those ailments don’t compound. Seattle needs Nwosu to be healthy and ready for its defensive front to have the most success. He has been the team’s best edge player in both seasons since arriving, and even a deeper defensive tackle rotation won’t save the Seahawks’ run defense if there isn’t a reliable defender on the outside.

All that said, assuming he has his health back, Nwosu will live up to the three-year contract extension he signed with Seattle ahead of last season. Mafe still needs more time to develop as a run defender and, at this point, Nwosu still has the more extensive and consistent track record in rushing the passer. At 6-2, 251 pounds, Nwosu is an athletic edge player whom Macdonald will surely have plenty of stunts and shifts dialed up for. He doesn’t quite have the versatility to rush from inside the tackles, but he’s unlikely to be needed there with the stable of big bodies the Seahawks now have on the interior. Nwosu was rising before his injury, and he could still be entering the prime of his career in year seven.