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After first week of Seattle Seahawks OTAs, five underdogs to make the active roster emerging at practice

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Travis May | Last updated 5/27/24

The Seattle Seahawks have wrapped up both rookie minicamp and their first week of official organized team activities (OTAs). The new rookies, free agent signings, and returning talents have all begun to gel together. General manager John Schneider, new head coach Mike Macdonald, and his staff have gotten an up close look at the vast majority of the roster already. So, what's next?

Over the course of the next three weeks the Seahawks still have ten more days of OTAs and Mandatory Minicamp, picking things back up the Tuesday after Memorial Day Weekend. But what underdogs to make the active roster are already emerging at practice? Five names stood out last week and should continue to do so here soon.

Tyrice Knight, Linebacker

Tyrice Knight racked up around 400 career tackles, 10 sacks, nearly double-digit passes defended, and multiple interceptions in his time at UTEP. It's no wonder he's already comfortably alternating starter reps in OTAs while both Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker are limited or out completely for the Seahawks.

Bob Condotta noted this week in practice that Knight was splitting time with Patrick O'Connell already.

Also, Tyrel Dodson was out there but did not to team stuff, and Jerome Baker is still in rehab mode (he had off-season wrist surgery). So the starting ILBs were Jon Rhattigan in the middle and Patrick O'Connell and Tyrice Knight appearing to split time at WLB.
— Bob Condotta (@bcondotta) May 22, 2024

Dodson and Baker likely lead the linebacker group in defensive snaps for 2024, but they're signed to short deals. Knight could easily make the roster, slide up to second or third on the depth chart by the end of year one, then be the anchor at off-ball linebacker by year two.

Seahawks Newfound Offensive Line Depth

The Seahawks came into 2024 NFL Draft week needing to add some major depth along the offensive line and it looks like John Schneider may have done just that. The starters look like a decent group already, but outside of that both guard spots and right tackle may have excellent backups emerging as well based partially on Corbin Smith's report this week.

#Seahawks weening rookie linemen into rotations. Charles Cross, Laken Tomlinson, Olu Oluwatimi, McClendon Curtis, and George Fant took first-team reps.

Christian Haynes/Sataoa Laumea saw work with second team, while Garret Greenfield/Michael Jerrell rotated at right tackle.
— Corbin K. Smith (@CorbinSmithNFL) May 22, 2024

Christian Haynes, the team's third round pick very likely ends up starting over McClendon Curtis at guard, but it's good to see him already working with the second team in May. Haynes was perhaps the best guard-only player in the entire draft class.

Sataoa Laumea may have just been a sixth round pick, and played mostly offensive tackle for the last two years of his college career, but he also tallied over 1200 snaps at guard before that. He could very well stick to the active roster and be the future at left guard one day soon for Seattle.

The battle for backup right tackle always made sense to come down to Garret Greenfield and Michael Jerrell. Greenfield was an undrafted free agent addition. Jerrell was a sixth round pick. Both played lower levels of competition in college, but both bring great experience. Greenfield started four seasons in a row and amassed over 3200 snaps of experience playing both left and right tackle. His value as a real swing option may give him the nod. Either way, the offensive line depth looks much improved now.

Be looking for more Seattle Seahawks coverage here at A to Z Sports all year long! Follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest football news!

And if you want to watch some Tyrice Knight highlights to see how he could stick to the roster for the Seahawks as a rookie you can check out the video below!