4 UDFA Seahawks rookies to watch for against the Cowboys

Just about every year we see the Seattle Seahawks find at least one undrafted rookie who is good enough to make the 53-man roster. This year there are a few contenders to be on the regular season roster, even if they’re not necessarily major contributors. Let’s take a look at some UDFA rookies to watch a little more closely this Saturday evening against the Dallas Cowboys.

Jake Bobo, Wide Receiver (No. 19)

This goes without saying but we’ll say it anyway. If we assume DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba are the top-3 receivers, it gets a little cloudier below them in the depth chart. Dee Eskridge is injured again and about to be suspended, Dareke Young and Cody Thompson just returned from injury, and Cade Johnson is coming off a concussion. UCLA’s Jake Bobo has been one of the standout names in training camp and he looked impressive in his preseason debut against the Minnesota Vikings.

If Bobo continues to impress in practice and in preseason games then his place on the roster is all but assured.

Levi Bell, Outside Linebacker (No. 98)

A pretty late entrant to training camp, Bell was one of the best performers last Thursday against the Minnesota Vikings, recording 5 pressures and a sack. Bell was in the USFL during the spring before signing with Seattle in late July.

Keeping in mind a good chunk of his best work came in the 2nd half, Bell stood out among the third- and fourth-stringers. Michael Bennet called him the NFL version of John Cena, which sounded funny and also is something I understood since he’s one of the few pro wrestlers I’m familiar with. We’ll see if my “new Nick Reed” semi-serious comparison has come to fruition. I only kid, because real ones know Nick Reed was incomparable.

Jonathan Sutherland, Safety (No. 28)

Seattle’s safety depth is real interesting when you factor in Coby Bryant’s inclusion. Quandre Diggs, Jamal Adams (when he’s healthy again), and Julian Love are the primary trio of safeties we should see during the year, but Joey Blount is trying to stay on the roster, rookie sixth-round pick Jerick Reed II was pretty good against Minnesota, and then you have Sutherland getting the start and 57 defensive snaps. If you care about PFF grades, Sutherland had a 74.7 overall and high marks for his work against the run and as a pass rusher.

The former Penn State standout by way of Canada was one of the hailed minicamp standouts alongside Jake Bobo, and so far they’re both living up to Pete Carroll’s hype.

Jacob Sykes, Defensive Tackle (No. 69)

You know at this point that Seattle’s interior defensive line is a bit of a question mark, so any good depth is welcome. Sykes caught my attention throughout the Vikings game for disruptive pass rushing. He was credited with a QB hit and three hurries in 31 defensive snaps.

PFF’s run grade was not kind to him (53.1) but it was a different story with his pass rush grade (in true pass sets). I am not totally certain that Sykes is a serious roster contender just yet, but at the minimum he could be a practice squad candidate. If the Seahawks continue to sit the majority of their starters out over the next couple of weeks, expect to see Sykes regularly in the defensive line rotation.