Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Will Nehemiah Pritchett Make Noise as Rookie?

After five college seasons, Nehemiah Pritchett was one of two Auburn corners selected by the Seahawks in the 2024 NFL Draft. Where does he fit in a deep secondary?

Connor Benintendi | Jun 30, 2024

Jan 30, 2024; Mobile, AL, USA; American defensive back Nehemiah Pritchett of Auburn (1) works through drills during practice for the American team at Hancock Whitney Stadium. / Vasha Hunt-USA TODAY Sports

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Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than a month, 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.

Will Nehemiah Pritchett be an impact rookie for Seattle despite joining a deep, experienced cornerback room?

Background

Rated a three-star prospect by 247Sports out of Jackson High School in southwest Alabama, Pritchett signed with Auburn and appeared in six games as a true freshman in 2019, totaling four tackles. Pritchett stepped into a larger role as a sophomore, finishing the 2020 season with 11 games played and 25 total tackles, one interception and 10 passes defensed. Playing five seasons at Auburn with extended eligibility due to COVID-19, Pritchett was a starter for the Tigers in his final three seasons and appeared in 34 games, amassing 86 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and 16 passes defensed in those campaigns. He missed the first three games of his final season due to an undisclosed injury. Seattle selected Pritchett to lead off the fifth round of the 2023 NFL Draft — one round ahead of his teammate, DJ James, who the Seahawks also selected.

Scheme Fit

Listed at 6-0, 188 pounds, Pritchett has good size and backs up his build with a speedy 4.36 40-yard dash. He would have been exactly the type of cornerback that Pete Carroll would target in the draft, and that has carried over to Mike Macdonald’s regime. Despite being similar physically to James (6-0, 170 pounds), who will likely be a nickel corner in the NFL, Pritchett’s skill set and near-32-inch arms had him line up on the outside for about 75 percent of his college snaps, per Pro Football Focus. That’s likely where he will stay in the NFL, also, as he would make a quality backup to Riq Woolen, especially with his straight-line speed.

Best Case Scenario

Pritchett shows incredible upside and coverage ability in training camp and maintains his consistency on both sides of the field. Macdonald and his defensive coaching staff decide the young corner is too talented to keep in a backup role and he starts opposite of Woolen on the outside of the Seahawks’ defensive secondary — pushing out Mike Jackson and Tre Brown, who become Pritchett’s backups.

Worst Case Scenario

Once the pads come on, Lance Boykin, who joined Seattle as an undrafted free agent last season, outplays Pritchett in training camp, showing more reliability in coverage despite the rookie being a superior athlete. Boykin nabs what would be Pritchett’s roster spot — behind Woolen, Jackson and Tre Brown — and he is cut after the preseason but retained on Seattle’s practice squad.

What to Expect in 2024

Pritchett will have a hard time beating out either Jackson or Brown for a starting role opposite of Woolen, as both of those corners have played well in the past for the Seahawks and possess at least three years of NFL experience. However, with similar athletic traits to Woolen, he does appear to be a perfect fit as a backup to the former Pro Bowler, and that would allow him to see the field on special teams regularly. The depth in Seattle’s cornerback room and Macdonald’s tendency to use multiple safeties — instead of corners — in dime packages may limit how much Pritchett sees the field on defense barring an injury, but that could change in his scheme with the Seahawks since the team’s safety talent is somewhat thin.

With his athleticism, Pritchett could also be a kick and punt return candidate after DeeJay Dallas left in free agency, furthering his special teams contributions. Unless he significantly disappoints in training camp and the preseason, it’s hard to imagine him not making Seattle’s 53-man roster and contributing in the regular season in some capacity.

Previous 90-Man Roundups

Published Jun 21, 2024|Modified Jun 30, 2024

CONNOR BENINTENDI