The Seattle Seahawks missed out on Evan Beerntsen by two picks during the 2026 NFL Draft.
Nearly five months later, they finally got him.
Seattle signed Beerntsen to its practice squad Monday, per KPRC 2’s Aaron Wilson, adding a rookie offensive lineman the organization openly wanted coming out of Northwestern.
The connection goes back to the final minutes of April’s draft. The Baltimore Ravens selected Beerntsen with the No. 253 overall pick, only two spots before Seattle was due to make the final selection at No. 255.
That didn’t go unnoticed inside the Seahawks’ draft room.
Seahawks Get Second Chance With Beerntsen
The Seahawks’ May account of their draft room offered an unusually clear look at how much they liked Beerntsen.
With Baltimore on the clock at No. 253, Seattle still had one selection remaining.
The Ravens took the Northwestern guard, and Seahawks.com reported that Seattle appeared to be hoping Beerntsen would make it through the draft so the club could pursue him as an undrafted free agent rather than select him at No. 255.
Baltimore’s move ended that possibility.
Beerntsen joined the Ravens as a seventh-round pick after an unusually long college career that included six seasons at South Dakota State and a final year at Northwestern. He was a starter on back-to-back FCS national championship teams before making the jump to the Big Ten.
The 6-foot-3, 302-pound lineman started all 13 games at right guard for Northwestern in 2025. The school credited him with allowing zero sacks or quarterback hits while earning honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition.
PFF credited Beerntsen with an 80.9 run-blocking grade, good for 10th at the position.
Baltimore general manager Eric DeCosta described him after the draft as a “physical, tough, gritty” interior lineman who had also taken snaps at center.
Ravens Cut Opens Door for Seattle’s Draft Target
Beerntsen’s time in Baltimore didn’t survive roster cutdowns.
The Ravens waived the rookie Aug. 29 as they worked toward their initial 53-man roster. Despite Baltimore using its final draft choice on him, Beerntsen had received limited preseason work before being let go.
He later worked out for the Las Vegas Raiders on Sept. 3 as part of a 16-player tryout group but remained available afterward.
That left the door open for Seattle to circle back to a prospect it had already identified months earlier.
Beerntsen brings extensive experience despite his rookie status. Baltimore’s pre-draft material credited him with 54 career starts at right guard across South Dakota State and Northwestern, with the Ravens also viewing him as capable of developing at center.
Seattle has continued altering the back end of its roster and practice squad since cutdown day. Beerntsen gives the team an interior option with a track record as a productive run blocker and the versatility to cross-train at multiple spots.
In the end, the Seahawks wanted Beerntsen in April.
But Baltimore simply got there first.
Five months go by, and the chance to bring in the ex-Northwestern OL sat right on Seattle’s doorstep.
Seattle Seahawks Sign Rookie They Wanted During 2026 NFL Draft