RENTON, WA - Ahead of the Seahawks' first of three rookie minicamp sessions this weekend, the team officially announced the signings of 13 undrafted free agents. Prominently featured among them is former South Dakota State receiver Cade Johnson, who earned mid-round buzz ahead of the draft with a dominant performance at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama in January.
Falling out of the draft and into the laps of Seattle following a poor outing at his pro day, Johnson wasn't present during Friday's workouts at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. While he didn't disclose what's limiting the rookie receiver, head coach Pete Carroll indicated Johnson is unable to fully participate in this weekend's action.
"He's not quite ready to go yet," Carroll told members of the Seattle media following Friday's practice. "We just gotta hold off for a little bit."
Still, Johnson is active at the VMAC. While he can't get work in on the field, he's involving himself in other aspects of the weekend get-together.
"He's getting walkthrough reps and stuff like that just so that he knows what's going on," Carroll said. "But we can't get him on the practice field yet."
When he's able to return, whenever that may be, Johnson is expected to be a frontrunner for one of the few remaining receiver spots on the Seahawks' roster. Despite his rough pro day testing, Seattle is excited to see what the two-year college starter can do after dominating the Missouri Valley Conference.
Finishing his collegiate career with 2,863 yards and 28 touchdowns on 163 receptions, Johnson did not play in 2020 after South Dakota State's season was postponed to the spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. While he initially entered the transfer portal, he opted to declare for the 2021 NFL Draft and began his preparation for the next level.
At the Senior Bowl, his route running blew scouts away as he consistently won in one-on-one drills. That said, it may be his stellar ability to create after the catch that best suits the Seahawks, whose receivers struggled to do so in 2020. In college, Johnson averaged 9.3 YAC per reception, displaying quick footwork and elusiveness to keep plays alive.
"He was really productive in school, and so we're really excited to see him play," Carroll stated.
Between DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Freddie Swain, and rookie D'Wayne Eskridge, the Seahawks have a versatile receiving corps that can line up all over the field. Johnson, however, is more of a pure slot receiver, lining up on the inside 82.1% of the time in college.
"We see him playing inside, being an inside receiver for us."
Looking to be the Seahawks' latest UDFA success story, Johnson will compete against Cody Thompson, John Ursua, Darvin Kidsy, Penny Hart, Tamorrion Terry, Connor Wedington, and Aaron Fuller to crack the team's 53-man roster this summer.
More must-reads: