Analysis: Examining 4 Seahawks Defensive Roster Bubble Battles Midway Through Preseason
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Seattle Seahawks undrafted rookie Connor O'Toole participates in a sled drill at training camp. Credit: Corbin Smith/Emerald City Spectrum [/caption]
Every team in the NFL has slightly different preferences when it comes to roster building strategies, particularly coming out of the preseason with an eye on Week 1, and the Seattle Seahawks are no different under the leadership of general manager John Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald.
In the first year of the Schneider/Macdonald courtship, Seattle didn’t change much in regard to roster construction and which positions were prioritized in final cuts last August. The team initially kept six receivers and 11 offensive linemen, rostering 26 offensive players and only 24 defensive players. Of course, the composition of the roster changed quite a bit between August 27 and the season opener against Denver on September 8.
This summer, however, it may be a big tougher to peg how the Seahawks will operate in terms of which players earn bubble spots and which ones the team risks losing on the waiver wire later this month. Specifically, new offensive coordinator in Klint Kubiak has big plans for utilizing a fullback in his scheme and the arrival of speedy quarterback Jalen Milroe behind Sam Darnold and Drew Lock ensures three quarterbacks will be on the 53, something the franchise has rarely done in Schneider’s tenure dating back to 2010. That means two spots normally open in prior years will be taken by Milroe and rookie Robbie Ouzts.
Now closing in on the tail end of training camp with two more exhibition games left to play, the competition for a handful of roster spots continues to wage on in Seattle. Who has the edge at four defensive positional battles to land a spot on the 53?
EDGE/Defensive End: Tyreke Smith vs. Connor O’Toole
Case for Smith: The first couple years of Smith’s NFL career didn’t go as planned, including missing his entire rookie year with a hip injury and a brief stint with the Cardinals in between two stops with the Seahawks. But since returning on the practice squad last September, he has quietly impressed Macdonald and the rest of the coaching staff with his work ethic and all-around game working off the edge at 255 pounds, which led to him being re-signed on a future/reserve deal in January. Taking advantage of increased opportunities with Uchenna Nwosu on the shelf recovering from knee surgery, he has consistently stood out as a pass rusher and run defender on the practice field this month and made several big plays in the preseason opener, including two run stuffs, a quarterback hit, and drawing a key holding penalty that wiped out a 24-yard catch.
Case for O’Toole: A converted receiver who still is growing into his frame and learning the position, Macdonald has mentioned that O’Toole still plays like a wide-eyed undrafted rookie much of the time and he has a ways to go development-wise before he’s ready to be a regular contributor on an NFL defense. But at the same time, he’s a 95th percentile athlete who ran a blazing 4.66 40-yard dash at his pro day workout and that speed has flashed at times during camp and the preseason, allowing him to rack up three quarterback pressures and a sack in the preseason opener against the Raiders. His quick twitch and explosiveness off the edge stand out amongst his peers and with his fundamentals improving by day, he appears to be trending in the right direction moving up the depth chart as a viable rotational pass rushing option.
Who Makes the Cut?: From a long-term standpoint, O’Toole’s sheer athleticism could open the door for him to vault into the rotation as a third down and pass rushing specialist. But he’s currently a liability as a run defender and needs to add strength to his frame to be able to offer anything more than a handful of snaps on clear passing downs right now. Smith has a much more refined game and the former fifth-round pick has finally taken a significant step forward as a pass rusher to go with his stout edge setting in the run game. With Nwosu possibly out for the start of the season, his more balanced skill set makes this a pretty easy decision assuming no outside free agents are added to the mix.
Nose Tackle: Quinton Bohanna vs. Brandon Pili
Case for Bohanna: Though he only suited up for one game and spent most of the 2025 season on Seattle’s practice squad, Bohanna has an extensive track record playing quality football for defensive coordinator Aden Durde, who coached him as a defensive line coach in Dallas. In his first two seasons in the league with the Cowboys, he suited up for 27 games with 10 starts, producing 29 tackles and a tackle for loss. His experience and overlooked versatility as a nose tackle who can also play 3-tech and even big defensive end in a pinch gives him a significant edge over the competition and after not playing much last year, he has shined for much of training camp, making a few splash plays in the run game in the preseason opener as well.
Case for Pili: Now in his third NFL season after playing college ball at USC, Pili doesn’t have a ton of regular season game experience, but he did see snaps on defense and/or special teams in 12 games with the Dolphins in 2023 and 2024. A bit lighter than Bohanna at 334 pounds, his athleticism and lateral quickness have been evident in one-on-one and team drills throughout camp, leading to a fair share of reps with the first-team defense along the way. Seeing 27 snaps in the exhibition opener, he generated a pair of run stops, holding up well in the trenches while seeing a handful of snaps as a 5-tech end to go with his 3-tech defensive tackle duties, showing enough flexibility to be more than a nose tackle if called upon.
Who Makes the Cut?: If veteran Johnathan Hankins doesn’t return soon from a back issue that landed him on the PUP list at the start of camp, the Seahawks may not have to make a difficult choice here with Bohanna and Pili both making the 53-man roster initially. But there’s a chance Hankins could be back by the end of camp or at least be ready to practice before Week 1, and if that happens, Bohanna has been the one seeing most of the first-team snaps in the past week and his ties to Durde from their time together in Dallas put a major feather in his cap. Under that scenario, Pili would be a prime candidate to return on the practice squad to elevate to the game day roster a few times early in the season if needed.
Linebacker: Patrick O’Connell vs. Josh Ross vs. Jamie Sheriff
Case for O’Connell: Though he’s in just his third season and has played snaps in a grand total of six regular season games to this point, O’Connell stands out as one of the veterans now in Seattle’s linebacker room. Formerly an edge rusher at Montana in college, he offers blitzing capabilities that Macdonald covets from the off-ball linebacker position and he has made strides in coverage since first arriving as an undrafted signee, showcased with a nice pass breakup in the red zone on a third down target against the Raiders that forced the visitors to settle for a field goal. Offering game experience on kick and punt coverage teams along with other special teams units, he could be considered a cog in that phase of the game as well.
Case for Ross: An alumni of Macdonald’s linebacker school from Michigan, Ross has yet to play a defensive snap in the NFL, but he understands the scheme inside and out, so if he had to be thrust into play, he could handle duties at the WILL spot in a pinch. That familiarity could also come in handy as a mentor in the room for younger players. Most notably, he has been a stellar special teams player dating back to his time in Ann Arbor, recording 11 combined tackles in parts of three seasons with Baltimore and Seattle, excelling on kick and punt coverage squads. Assuming he returns soon from hand surgery, he will be in the mix for a core special teams role for that reason.
Case for Sheriff: Formerly an edge rusher who starred with 12 pressures and three sacks last August, Sheriff made the jump to off-ball linebacker at the start of Seattle’s offseason program with no prior experience at the position at any level. While that may sound like a long-term project, however, the second-year defender has grown leaps and bounds since OTAs kicked off, starting to make plays in the run game with more decisive reads from his new off-ball position. Adding in the fact that the Seahawks still have been utilizing him as an edge rusher as well, he offers hybrid capabilities that no other player in the position group can match, and that versatility coupled with special teams contributions makes him a far more valuable asset for Macdonald and the staff.
Who Makes the Cut?: Right now, it would be a surprise if O’Connell isn’t penciled in as the fourth linebacker behind Ernest Jones, Tyrice Knight, and Drake Thomas, as he has been getting ample work with the first-team defense with Jones and Knight both spending time either away from the team or nursing minor injuries. Ross’ hand injury came at an unfortunate time for the fourth-year defender and even if he returns before the end of the preseason, his lack of value on defense hurts his cause for being more than a practice squad addition. The wild card remains Sheriff, who has missed a couple of practices with an undisclosed injury and didn’t play in the exhibition opener. If he’s back for Week 2 and performs well in his new hybrid role, it’s not out of the question he could still make things interesting, especially with some depth concerns off the edge as well.
Safety: Ty Okada vs. Jerrick Reed
Case for Okada: Respected by Macdonald and the coaching staff for his high football IQ, interchangeability at either safety spot, and aggressive play style, Okada wound up playing a lot more than expected last season, suiting up for four games with 33 defensive snaps and 23 special teams snaps after opening the season on Seattle’s practice squad. As he demonstrated last preseason, he has underrated ball skills and can get his hands on pass breakups and interceptions as a deep safety or playing closer to the box matched up on bigger receivers and tight ends. He also has legitimate mid-4.4 speed, which flashes on coverage units on special teams and flying downhill to make stops in the run game.
Case for Reed: Reed began his career on a strong note, emerging as one of the Seahawks best special teams players before suffering a torn ACL late in his rookie season while covering a kickoff. Since then, he has had a difficult time rediscovering his groove again, but there have been encouraging signs on the practice field as of late that the former sixth-round pick may finally be finding his footing. He picked off Drew Lock in a recent padded practice and made a couple nice tackles during the preseason opener, playing back at his usual 4.4 speed and looking more confident after displaying hesitancy in his limited action coming off the injury a year ago. His special teams prowess also remains a major key to staying on the roster.
Who Makes the Cut?: After drafting Nick Emmanwori and signing D’Anthony Bell, it isn’t even a given that Okada or Reed will be on Seattle’s initial 53-man roster, as Macdonald and his staff could easily choose to go with just four safeties. But the fact Emmanwori has been moonlighting as a linebacker for good chunks of his first training camp suggests that having an extra safety on the roster would be a wise move, especially with Knight currently dealing with a medical issue, and whether it will be Okada or Reed will likely boil down to which player they believe will be easier to slip to the practice squad. That likely would work in Reed’s favor, as he has a perceived higher ceiling as a former draft choice with excellent athletic traits, while Okada’s standing as a former undrafted signee should make it easier to stash him back on the practice squad, at least in theory.
