Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Will Jack Westover Stick in Revamped TE Group?

Reunited with play caller Ryan Grubb, Jack Westover will be leaning on his clutch pass catching ability and scheme familiarity to land a spot on the Seahawks roster.

Seahawks tight end Jack Westover walks back towards the sideline during a drill at an OTA practice. / Corbin Smith/All Seahawks

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.

Linking back up with offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after a standout career at Washington, will Jack Westover make a case for a fourth tight end on the active roster?

Background

Waiting until his senior season at Mount Si High School in North Bend, Washington to play football, Westover suffered an injury early in the season and wasn't given any stars as a recruit. But due to his basketball background and athletic profile, he walked on at Washington and transformed himself into one of the Pac-12's best tight ends, eventually earning a scholarship. After biding his time as a seldom-used backup from 2019 to 2021, he caught 31 passes for 342 yards and a touchdown in a breakthrough 2022 season in Ryan Grubb's offense. Taking his game to another level for the College Football Playoff-bound Huskies as a senior, he reeled in 46 passes for 433 yards and four touchdowns, earning honorable mention All-Pac 12 honors. Reunited with Grubb, he signed with the Seahawks as a priority free agent in late April.

Scheme Fit

A "Joker" tight end with great positional flexibility, Westover lacks prototypical size for inline blocking at 248 pounds and likely won't play many snaps as a traditional Y attached to the line for the Seahawks. However, he ranked among college football's best blockers last season and can hold his own in limited usage in that capacity while also offering value as an H-back or fullback and having the athleticism and pass catching ability to thrive in the slot, where he logged nearly 40 percent of his routes from in his last two years at Washington.

Best Case Scenario

Already familiar with Grubb's offense, Westover holds a distinct advantage over incoming rookie AJ Barner and veterans Tyler Mabry and Brady Russell, outperforming all three during preseason play with eight catches for 84 yards and a touchdown. Offering special teams value as well, he makes the final roster as a fourth tight end with a chance to see offensive snaps early.

Worst Case Scenario

While Westover handled blocking duties fine in college, he struggles to handle NFL defenders in that capacity, falling down the depth chart behind returnees such as Mabry and Russell. Due to his connection with Grubb, he stays on the practice squad, but doesn't make the initial roster and doesn't dress for a regular season game.

What to Expect in 2024

Following the departures of Will Dissly and Colby Parkinson this offseason, the Seahawks will have a much different looking tight end group in 2024 behind starter Noah Fant. Veteran Pharaoh Brown should step into Dissly's role as a physical Y-tight end with some slot flexibility, while Barner also offers plus-blocking skills and special teams ability. The presence of those three players could make it tricky for Westover to earn a spot at a position where the Seahawks usually only carry three players on the active roster.

However, this is a new era of Seahawks football with a new coaching staff and Grubb holds Westover in high regard for his all-around talent and versatility. If there was a year where the team could keep a fourth tight end, his soft hands and ability to move around the formation coupled with potential special teams contributions as well as his familiarity with the offensive scheme give him a lot of favorable attributes for sticking around. At worst, he should be a lock for the practice squad and if he plays well in the preseason, he may be one of the undrafted rookies best equipped to make the team.

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 | Lance Boykin | Joshua Onujiogu