Seahawks Open 10-Practice Camp With 2 UDFAs Seen as Best 53-Man Bets

Q: Why is Uso Seumalo still a long shot in Seattle if the Seahawks value true nose tackles and he fits the role?

Uso Seumalo is still a long shot because Seattle’s appreciation for true nose tackles does not automatically create a roster spot for a rookie specialist on a crowded defensive line. He fits the role physically and stylistically. At about 6-foot-3 and 330 pounds, Seumalo is a classic run-plugging nose tackle who can anchor, absorb double teams and control gaps. That is a profile the Seahawks have valued before, especially in Mike Macdonald’s front. But his role is narrow. Scouts view him as a limited pass rusher with little versatility outside nose tackle, which makes it harder to justify a 53-man spot if the team wants more flexible interior defenders. The bigger issue is numbers. Seattle’s roster is largely intact, it drafted heavily, and the defensive tackle room is already crowded with established players and other young options. The Seahawks can use Jarran Reed and Byron Murphy II inside, have carried Brandon Pili in that true nose mold, and also added more interior competition. For a position that may only play limited snaps in some games, there may not be room for another one-dimensional rookie. That is why Seumalo’s best path may be the practice squad. He is one of the more realistic UDFA candidates because Seattle values his body type and skill set, but making the active roster likely requires not just solid camp play, but also proving he is more useful than veteran and drafted alternatives in a numbers-driven competition.

3 articles · Updated · Field Gulls · Jul 26

Seattle opens training camp Saturday with the first of 10 public practices, and a notably small 2026 undrafted class fighting for roster spots after the team kept most of its core and drafted more players than expected.
Two names stand out: EDGE Aidan Hubbard and nose tackle Uso Seumalo are viewed as the best UDFA chances to make the 53-man roster.
Hubbard brings 13.5 sacks over his final two college seasons and received $267,500 in guaranteed money, the highest among Seattle's UDFAs, signaling a real shot at the fifth EDGE role.
Seumalo, a 330-pound Kansas State product, could benefit if Seattle again reserves a spot for a true nose tackle, though the position remains a numbers squeeze.
The rest of the group looks more likely bound for the practice squad, with Marvin Jones Jr., Lance Mason and Rashad Rochelle facing crowded depth charts.