Seahawks Place Rookie DT Deven Eastern on PUP List to Open Training Camp
Bringing their incoming rookie class in early for the start of training camp with a July 17 report date, the Seattle Seahawks will start practicing without one of their eight draft picks participating on the field.
The team announced on Saturday that seventh round pick Deven Eastern, a defensive tackle out of Minnesota, will start camp on the Physically Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning he counts against the 90-man roster but will not be able to practice until medically cleared by the team. Coach Mike Macdonald did not disclose any details on his injury when he sat out mandatory minicamp last month.
Per NFL rules, the Seahawks can activate Eastern at any time, but once he returns to active status, he cannot go back on the PUP list again.
Starring for the Golden Gophers, Eastern started three seasons against rugged Big Ten competition and packed a punch as both a run defender and a pass rusher. In his final two seasons on campus, while splitting time between nose tackle and 3-tech defensive tackle duties, Eastern put up quality all-around numbers, racking up 65 tackles, 4.5 sacks, and 10 tackles for loss, garnering Honorable Mention All-Big Ten honors as a senior in 2025.
According to Pro Football Focus, Eastern also amassed 32 quarterback pressures, three batted passes, and two forced fumbles during that span, offering a more balanced skill set than most 315-pound space eaters in the middle of the defensive line. During rookie minicamp, he was seen rotating in at nose and 3-tech positions, but also has previously played a “big” end role lined up across from tackles in 5-tech alignment, offering intriguing positional flexibility possibilities.
It remains to be seen how long Eastern will be sidelined, but every practice that he misses will take away an opportunity for him as he tries to stand out in a crowded defensive line that returns everyone from last year’s Super Bowl squad. This includes veteran nose tackle Brandon Pili, who had a career-high in tackles last year and re-signed on a one-year, $2 million deal in March, along with second-year defenders J.R. Singleton and Bubba Thomas, who each saw preseason snaps at the nose spot last August.
Seattle will officially kick off open training camp practices on July 25, with veterans reporting the day prior. This gives Eastern close to another week to continue rehabbing his injury with hopes he won’t miss much time once practices for the full squad begin.
