Ranking Seahawks: Bobby Hart, AJ Finley Among Seasoned Vets Seeking Roster Spot in No. 80-76
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Safety AJ Finley (#30) looks on during a special teams drill during training camp for the Seattle Seahawks. Credit: Corbin Smith/Emerald City Spectrum [/caption]
With the calendar quickly heading towards July and offseason workouts wrapped up league-wide for the summer, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will soon descend upon the Virginia Mason Athletic Center for the start of training camp, kicking off a much-anticipated 2026 season.
To celebrate the new incoming season, I will be ranking every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks leading up to report day, providing detailed profiles, exploring best and worst case scenarios, and breaking down what to expect from each player entering the 2026 campaign.
Moving to No. 80-76 on my rankings, a pair of established veterans will be vying for reserve spots on the offensive line and in a crowded secondary, while an intriguing pass rusher with NFL DNA will look to surprise:
80. Chris Paul Jr., LB
2025 Stats: DNP - Practice Squad
A three-star linebacker recruit who also played running back at Crisp County High School in Georgia, Paul opted to sign with Arkansas over several other interested Power 4 programs, playing in four games as a true freshman before ultimately redshirting. By his redshirt freshman season, he jumped into the starting lineup for the Razorbacks, amassing 62 tackles, four sacks, and a fumble recovery to earn SEC All-Freshman Team honors. Landing on the Butkus Watch List before his sophomore campaign, he followed up with another strong season in Fayetteville, producing 74 tackles, two sacks, and a pass breakup to lead Arkansas’ defense before deciding to enter the transfer portal with two years of eligibility remaining.
Staying in the SEC, Paul chose to take his talents to Ole Miss in 2024, making the most of his lone season in Oxford. Garnering Third-Team All-American honors from the Associated Press, he racked up 88 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and an interception for the Rebels, choosing to forgo his last year of eligibility to enter the 2025 NFL Draft. The Rams selected him in the fifth round, but he surprisingly didn’t make their initial 53-man roster and the Seahawks signed him to their practice squad, where he spent the entirety of the 2025 season without suiting up for any regular season games. After Seattle won the Super Bowl, he re-signed with the team on a future/reserve deal, setting up the opportunity to battle for a reserve spot behind starters Ernest Jones and Drake Thomas this summer.
Best Case Scenario: Adding 15 pounds of muscle to his frame in his first full NFL offseason, Paul’s efforts in the weight room show up on the field as he tallies tackles and tackles for loss in bunches along with excelling on special teams coverage duty during preseason games, earning a reserve spot over Patrick O’Connell and Chazz Surratt as the fourth linebacker on the 53-man roster.
Worst Case Scenario: Still a question mark at best in coverage, despite having plenty of playmaking ability defending the run and rushing the passer as a blitzer, Paul gets carved up during the preseason defending the pass and isn’t able to stand out against the competition on special teams, receiving a pink slip without a return spot on Seattle’s practice squad.
What to Expect: Only two years ago, Paul emerged as one of the most decorated linebackers in college football, headlined by his quick trigger getting downhill against the run and his talents as a blitzing maestro from the middle. Those two traits sit near the top of Mike Macdonald’s priority list when evaluating inside linebackers, and with a more NFL-ready body than the one he entered the league with, he should be able to physically hold up much better at the point of attack than he did during his first training camp and preseason in Los Angeles. The biggest concern remains in coverage, an area where he occasionally got picked on both at Arkansas and Ole Miss and one of the biggest reasons he didn’t stick with the Rams. If he can demonstrate significant improvement in that aspect of his game, along with being a more consistent special teams contributor, the path lies in front of him to challenge the likes of O’Connell and even Surratt for a roster spot. But if he doesn’t flash much growth there, a practice squad assignment may once again prove to be his ceiling in a position group with plenty of talent and depth.
79. Jacardia Wright, RB
2025 Stats: Five carries, 20 yards
One of the most prolific runners to come out of Illinois in recent years, Wright eclipsed 8,000 rushing yards at St. Teresa High School while also starring as a safety on defense. He committed to Kansas State as a running back, but struggled to see much action on offense with tons of talent ahead of him on the depth chart, receiving a grand total of 48 carries for 195 yards and a touchdown in three seasons with the program. Looking to see the field more often, he transferred to Missouri State prior to the 2022 season and promptly took over as the Bears primary back with seven starts in 10 games.
While Wright never surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in his college career, he did provide a consistent presence for Missouri State’s offense as both a runner and pass catcher. In each of his three seasons with the program, he rushed for at least 696 rushing yards and six touchdowns, including posting career-highs with 824 rushing yards and 14 touchdowns as a senior in 2024, which put him on the map for NFL teams. Additionally, he snagged 75 passes for 844 yards and four touchdowns as a receiver out of the backfield with the Bears, earning Second-Team All-MVFC recognition as a running back and all-purpose player. Hurt by a historically great running back class, he went undrafted before signing with the Seahawks, appearing in a single regular season game as a practice squad promotion before an unspecified injury ended his season early.
Best Case Scenario: Rebounding from the injury that shut down his rookie season early, Wright returns to the field running with a purpose, smashing his way through would-be tacklers throughout the preseason and ripping off several 15-plus yard runs to go with a handful of catches, leading to the Seahawks making the surprising decision to keep him over free agent signee Emanuel Wilson as a short-yardage specialist.
Worst Case Scenario: Starting off way down the depth chart with Jadarian Price, George Holani, and Wilson all squarely ahead of him and a healthy Kenny McIntosh taking even more of his potential reps, Wright doesn’t get the chance to truly shine in camp or the preseason, leading to his release without coming back on the practice squad.
What to Expect: Before an unfortunate injury prevented him from continuing to carve out a bigger role, Wright enjoyed one of the most impressive ascents by an undrafted player in the past several years in Seattle, quickly changing the narrative with a strong preseason that ultimately led to him getting a practice squad spot over seventh round pick Damien Martinez. He runs with ferocity behind his pads, using his 220-plus pound frame to his advantage with a wide gait that allows him to withstand contact and stay upright, and his pass catching ability has been proven dating back to his college career where he was a frequent target at Missouri State. With Zach Charbonnet recovering from a torn ACL, those traits may still give him a fighting chance to battle his way into position to steal the third running back job, but Wilson will enter camp as the clear favorite after being signed away from the Packers in free agency. The second-year back will have to make strides as a pass protector and have another excellent preseason showing to blast his way onto the 53, while a practice squad spot may be equally difficult to attain if McIntosh rediscovers his pre-injury form.
78. Marvin Jones Jr., EDGE
2025 Stats: 21 tackles, two sacks, one pass breakup (at Oklahoma)
The son of former NFL top-five pick Marvin Jones Sr., Jones emerged as one of the premier recruits in the country in 2022 and received five-star distinction from 247 Sports, choosing to take his talents to Georgia over Alabama, USC, and other blue blood programs. He received limited playing time as a true freshman, generating four tackles and a sack while contributing two pressures during a blowout win over TCU in the National Championship Game. As a sophomore, he saw a slight uptick in snaps as a reserve, wrapping up the season with 12 tackles, a sack, and four tackles for loss, but with him desiring a starting opportunity, he entered the transfer portal and committed to Florida State, his father’s alma mater.
In one lone season with the Seminoles, Jones started in nine out of 11 games played, posting career-highs in tackles (25) and sacks (four). With one year of eligibility left, he departed Tallahassee to join Oklahoma for his senior season, once again starting in nine games. His production took a step back, however, as he only recorded 21 tackles and two sacks for the Sooners, which contributed to him going undrafted despite an impressive pro day workout. Taking a chance on his physical and athletic traits with hopes of developing him into a more productive player, the Seahawks signed Jones as an undrafted free agent to see where he fits in a competition against the likes of returning second-year players Connor O’Toole and Jared Ivey.
Best Case Scenario: Finally starting to turn his physical gifts into on-field production with more consistency, Jones takes to the coaching of defensive line coach Justin Hinds and becomes an apprentice of Uchenna Nwosu and Demarcus Lawrence, turning in a stellar preseason with four pressures and 1.5 sacks, managing to secure one of the final roster spots on the 53 with the Seahawks concerned they won’t be able to sneak him to the practice squad.
Worst Case Scenario: Just as he did throughout his college career, despite his five-star pedigree and NFL bloodlines, Jones disappears for extended periods in camp and the preseason with only brief flashes where his athletic talents translate into big plays on the field, leading to his release after the second preseason game without a return on the practice squad.
What to Expect: In terms of raw size and athleticism, Jones has all of the tools to be a productive NFL player, but he never took the big step forward everyone expected him to during stops at three different college programs. He has continued to tantalize at times, delivering splashy sacks and tackles for loss sandwiched around lengthy stretches where he can go into ghost mode. The Seahawks will be the latest team to try and see if they can turn his natural gifts into more tangible on-field contributions, hoping their coaching staff and strong veterans in the EDGE group will be able to coax his best play out of him. If they can get the light switch to stay on, the talent is in place for Jones to not only star during the preseason, but put himself in the mix to be the latest undrafted signee to crash the 53-man roster. But that’s a big if given his previous track record and after missing time in the offseason program due to a minor injury, he has a lot of room to make up to become more than a practice squad developmental candidate.
77. AJ Finley, S
2025 Stats: DNP - Injured Reserve
Starring at running back and safety at St. Paul’s Episcopal School, Finley chose to continue his football career at Ole Miss over Tennessee, Iowa, Purdue, and several other Power 4 programs. He saw significant action in his first season on campus as a reserve safety and special teams contributor in 2019 before jumping into the starting lineup as a sophomore, finishing fourth on the team with 62 tackles. He followed up by leading the Rebels with three interceptions in 2021 and again eclipsed 70 tackles with a pair of picks as a senior, wrapping up his career with an invite to the East West Shrine Bowl.
Coming off a productive college career in Oxford, Finley didn’t hear his name called in the 2023 NFL Draft, eventually signing with the Chargers as a free agent. He made the 53-man roster for Los Angeles coming out of camp, dressing for a total of 12 games with three tackles as a core special teams player. He once again made the team in 2024 as a reserve safety, appearing in 10 games for the Chargers and recording 10 tackles before being waived and being claimed by the Seahawks. Suiting up for four games in Seattle, he tallied a single tackle on kick coverage and looked poised to land a special teams spot on the 53-man roster last summer before suffering a torn ACL during the team’s annual Fan Fest scrimmage, landing on season-ending injured reserve. The team re-signed him to a one-year deal in March and he participated in offseason on-field workouts.
Best Case Scenario: Showing no ill effects from the significant knee injury he suffered a year earlier, Finley jumps right back into the mix as one of Seattle’s best all-around special teams players and makes several nice tackles in kick/punt coverage in the preseason, giving him an advantage over the likes of D’Anthony Bell and Rodney Thomas II as he surprises by capturing a backup safety spot on the 53.
Worst Case Scenario: Even with him back to full strength, Finley returns to a secondary featuring too much talent ahead of him on the depth chart, and without many chances to prove himself on defense in the preseason, his special teams talents aren’t enough to keep him around and he signs elsewhere after being waived in late August.
What to Expect: When Finley first came to Seattle midway through the 2024 season, he received praise from Mike Macdonald on a couple of occasions for his practice habits and contributions on special teams. Prior to his injury a year ago, his name also was dropped unprompted in a couple instances as a reserve to watch, so he has plenty of admirers within the building who respect his game and work ethic. Getting back onto the practice field for OTAs and minicamp helped his cause, as he’s ahead of other returning injured players such as McIntosh, which allowed him to jump right into the competition against Bell, Thomas, and others vying for maybe one or two backup safety spots. While it’s not out of the question that he could find his way back onto the 53 due to his special teams talent, even after losing Coby Bryant in free agency, it can be argued Seattle has even better depth at the position than this time a year ago. That doesn’t work in Finley’s favor, especially coming off an injury, making the push to return on the practice squad most likely his best outcome.
76. Bobby Hart, T
2025 Stats: 21 pressures allowed, two sacks allowed
After two full seasons as a starter at Florida State, Hart broke into the league as a seventh round pick for the New York Giants in 2015, playing both right tackle and right guard in injury replacement cameos as a rookie. Building off that first pro experience, he started 20 games at right tackle over the next two seasons, but after struggling with six sacks allowed in 10 games and refusing to suit up for the finale, the team released him in February. Only a few days later, he signed with the Bengals, where he started 45 games at right tackle over a three-year period despite allowing 20 sacks in that span. He endured a wild 2021 season that started with the Bills cutting him at the end of the preseason, including multiple practice squad stints with three different teams, and eventually playing 102 total snaps for the Bills and Titans as a reserve.
Hart continued to persevere despite facing mounting adversity, and even while not playing a single regular season snap in 2023 and 2024, he stuck around as a practice squad member with the Commanders. Finally returning to game action in 2025 after opening the season on the Chargers practice squad, injuries forced him into a starting role at right tackle and he allowed two sacks and 21 pressures on 322 pass blocking snaps. Los Angeles did not retain him as a free agent this spring and after remaining unsigned through the 2026 NFL Draft and into June, Seattle added him to the 90-man roster during mandatory minicamp as extra depth at the tackle positions.
Best Case Scenario: With Josh Jones still working back from a knee injury early in camp, Hart acclimates himself well to Seattle’s zone-centric offense as a reserve right tackle early in camp and the first couple preseason games and though he doesn’t make the 53-man roster with younger options beating him out, the Seahawks bring him back as a proven veteran insurance policy on the practice squad.
Worst Case Scenario: No longer needed with Jones avoiding the PUP list at the start of camp and both Mason Richman and Amari Kight ahead of him, the Seahawks cut Hart before camp even begins, leaving him searching for another job after only a handful of offseason practices in Seattle.
What to Expect: There’s no such thing as having too much experience from backup offensive linemen and in the case of Hart, he's logged almost 5,000 career NFL snaps, so it made sense why the Seahawks decided to sign him when Jones couldn’t do anything during OTAs or minicamp. If Jones’ injury ends up keeping him out into training camp a month from now, the decision to be proactive by signing another veteran tackle could end up being a real shrewd move. But all signs point to Jones being ready for the start of camp, and with Richman and Kight both being intriguing young players in their second seasons respectively, Seattle won’t want to dedicate extra reps to a veteran who likely won’t be making the 53-man roster at the expense of those two youngsters. It’s possible the team could hold onto Hart early in camp without flipping his roster spot to another position, but it’s also not out of the question that a healthy Jones could mean he gets the ax before practice even starts back up. For that reason, while he’s had a solid career, it’s hard to envision a path for him to stick around unless other injuries occur at the bookend spots.
Previous 90-Man Rankings
