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The Seattle Seahawks are looking in unique places to improve their pass rush as the team is giving rookie tight end Stephen Sullivan an opportunity on the defensive line. The Seattle Times’ Bob Condotta reported Sullivan has been practicing with the defensive line but remains on the practice squad. Sullivan played wide receiver at LSU but the Seahawks initially planned to utilize him at tight end.
“The Seahawks are intriguingly now listing rookie Stephen Sullivan as both a tight end and a defensive end,” Condotta noted on Twitter. “…So, Seahawks apparently getting creative and seeing if Sullivan can maybe help out on the other side of the ball. Sullivan remains on practice squad.”
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Ken Norton Jr. on Sullivan: ‘He’s a Guy We Have Our Eyes on’
Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. described Sullivan as being in the “developmental stage” on the defensive line. The Seahawks are deep at tight end and being utilized as a pass rusher could give Sullivan a chance to see the field sooner.
“He’s a guy that you certainly want to see if he can use that length and speed and turn into a pass rusher,” Norton told Sports Illustrated. “So he has been there for a few weeks now and he’s been very impressive, watching how quickly he’s been able to pick it up. So we’re still in the development stage for him, but certainly he’s a guy that we have our eyes on.”
Sullivan Was a ‘Killer in High School’ on Defense
Sullivan has experience playing on defense in high school but was utilized on offense while at LSU. Norton has been watching some of Sullivan’s old defensive clips to see how the rookie might be able to make the position change.
“I’ve seen some high school clips of him, so he was a killer in high school but it’s been a while,” Norton noted, per Sports Illustrated. “He’s certainly a guy that has that ability to lengthen the speed that you look for in that position, so why not give him a shot and see how he looks.”
Sullivan Has a Chance to Make His Defensive Debut vs. 49ers in Week 8
Sullivan could make his debut on defense sooner rather than later. Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated Sullivan has a chance to play on the defensive line as soon as Week 8 against the 49ers.
“Next week will be an important week for him,” Carroll explained, via SeattlePI.com. “He had a good week in pads this week. I’m not sure if it’s next week or not, but next week we’re looking at him really seriously to see where he fits, to see if he has a chance to play there.”
The Seahawks have not given up on Sullivan contributing at tight end, but it does not appear that will happen this season given the team’s depth at the position. Seattle would like to utilize Sullivan’s athleticism and the defensive line continues to be an area of need.
“It’s been a good experiment for us and for him,” Carroll added. “He shows the versatility that he’s in the running for this thing. The tight end situation right now, we don’t need him yet there. So we’ve been patient with this.”
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Seahawks Reveal Surprising Position Change