The Seattle Seahawks have a pretty loaded front seven on Mike Macdonald’s defense. They added to it this week as well with the signing of veteran Dante Fowler. But one undrafted rookie defensive lineman is off to a strong start in the hopes of earning a roster spot.
On Monday, The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell included the performance from defensive tackle Uso Seumalo among his biggest takeaways from rookie minicamp.
Seumalo started making an impact at the camp immediately after signing his undrafted free agent contract.
“About an hour later, moments into his first 11-on-11 scrimmage with Seattle, the nose tackle made an impression,” wrote Bell.
“He jumped while getting blocked. The 6-foot-3, 330-pound Seumalo knocked down a quick, short pass by Shapen, who got most of the plays quarterbacking with Price, Stephens and what appeared to be a first-team offense, if there was such a thing this weekend.
“By the end of the rookie camp, a member of the Seahawks’ public-relations staff was confirming the pronunciation of his name.”
During his college career, Seumalo posted 57 combined tackles, including nine tackles for loss, in 50 games. He also had five pass defenses, 2.5 sacks and a fumble recovery.
Seahawks’ Uso Seumalo Stands out at Rookie Minicamp
The Seahawks entered the 2026 NFL Draft with only four draft picks. However, general manager John Schneider turned that capital into eight selections with trades.
Very late in the draft at No. 242 overall, the Seahawks landed nose tackle Deven Eastern in the seventh round. Eastern will likely get the first crack at a roster spot along the defensive line interior this summer.
But Seumalo’s rookie minicamp performance could change things. The undrafted rookie could have upside since he is relatively new to the sport.
“He played volleyball and basketball at Molokai High School in Ho’olehua, Hawaii,” added Bell. “He didn’t played football until his senior year there. Seumalo then played two seasons at Garden City Community College in Kansas and four more for Kansas State.”
During his final college season, Seumalo registered 20 combined tackles, including 2.5 for loss. He also had two pass defenses with one sack.
Defensive Line Depth on Mike Macdonald’s Defense
Bell projected Seumalo to competed for snaps at nose tackle for the Seahawks this fall. Seattle has five defensive linemen listed at nose tackle on its official roster, but Bell called Brandon Pili and Bubba Thomas the team’s only “true nose tackles” in reserve.
So, while Seumalo might not have a clear path to playing this fall, the team could view him as a 2027 contributor if he performs well enough this spring and summer.
Byron Murphy II, Jarran Reed and Leonard Williams will return to be Seattle’s starting defensive linemen. The Seahawks have Reed, Pili, Thomas, Eastern and J.R. Singleton listed as their nose tackles on their official offseason roster.
Murphy and Williams are the defensive tackles on the team’s roster.
That group will be back together on the field beginning May 26 for the team’s next offseason workout. The Seahawks have their mandatory minicamp scheduled for June 9-11.
Seahawks Undrafted DT Opens Eyes at Rookie Minicamp: Report