Ranking Seahawks: Intriguing Rookie Michael Dansby Looks to Surprise, Headlines No. 70-66
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.
Breaking down No. 70-66 on my annual rankings, two practice squad veterans will look to break through to the 53-man roster and Seattle’s final draft pick from April has sights set on standing out in a deep defensive backfield:
70. Jamie Sheriff, EDGE
2025 Stats: DNP - Practice Squad
Lightly recruited out of high school, Sheriff initially played at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before hitting the transfer portal and accepting a scholarship offer from South Alabama over North Texas. While a knee injury suffered in fall camp cost him the full 2021 season, he bounced back with two stellar seasons for the Jaguars, eclipsing 40 pressures and totaling nine sacks in 2023 and 2024 to close out his collegiate career. Though he didn’t earn All-Sun Belt honors in either season or receive an invite to an all-star showcase, he tested well at his pro day workout, putting him on the radar for prospective NFL teams.
Ultimately, Sheriff didn’t hear his name called in the 2025 NFL Draft and attended the Seahawks rookie minicamp, departing without a contract. He worked as a beer deliveryman during the offseason while waiting for his next opportunity and Seattle came calling early in training camp, signing him shortly before the exhibition opener. Coming out of nowhere to emerge as a preseason star, he racked up 12 pressures and a trio of sacks for the Seahawks, performing well enough that after the team waived him in final roster cuts that the Panthers claimed him onto their 53-man roster. He played in one game for Carolina before being released, eventually finding his way back to the Pacific Northwest. Working at both EDGE and off-ball linebacker after signing a future/reserve deal, he spent the entire 2025 season on the practice squad for further development.
Best Case Scenario: No longer dipping into a second position, Sheriff gets back to what he does best pinning his ears back and hunting quarterbacks in the preseason, returning to his form from August 2024 to re-secure a practice squad spot over undrafted rookies Aidan Hubbard and Marvin Jones Jr.
Worst Case Scenario: Time runs out on one of Seattle’s neatest feel good stories in recent memory, as Sheriff loses out on snaps to Hubbard and Jones along with being behind Jared Ivey and Connor O’Toole, squeezing him out not only from the 53-man roster but also practice squad consideration.
What to Expect: Only a year ago, the Seahawks experimented with Sheriff at the off-ball linebacker position hoping to add more versatility to his game as an opportunity to potentially make the 53-man roster. However, that transition appeared to come to an end this spring as the third-year defender spent all of his time with the EDGE group in OTAs and minicamp. On one hand, Seattle didn't draft any EDGE players in April and the only noteworthy veteran addition in Dante Fowler Jr. arrived as a one-for-one replacement for Boye Mafe, creating a sliver of hope that if he can rediscover his pass rushing chops from two years ago, finding his way onto the roster is not impossible. At the same time, it can be argued that O'Toole, IV, and hovered all have more well-rounded skill sets and a higher ceiling. Most likely, Sheriff's best bet remains returning on the practice squad or flashing enough in the preseason to draw interest from another team.
69. Michael Dansby, CB
2025 Stats: 28 tackles, 7.5 sacks, one forced fumble (at Northwestern)
Starring both on the gridiron and on the track, Dansby competed in the state finals at McClymonds High School in both sports before signing with San Jose State to play football. He played significant snaps as a true freshman, generating four pass breakups and two interceptions, following up with four pass breakups and a 98-yard interception returned for a touchdown as a sophomore. He enjoyed his finest season with the Spartans in 2023, setting career-bests with 37 tackles, seven pass breakups, and two interceptions, putting himself on the radar as a desired recruit in the transfer portal with one year of eligibility left.
Jumping to Big 12 competition, Dansby joined forces with Treydan Stukes and several other future NFL players in Arizona’s secondary, further bolstering one of the top defensive backfields in all of college football. In his lone season with the ‘Cats, he allowed just a 36% completion rate in coverage while intercepting two passes and breaking up 10 others. An unidentified injury led to him not participating in pre-draft workouts, but the Seahawks still used one of their three seventh round picks on him, making him one of three cornerbacks added to the roster out of their eight selections. He will start off his NFL career competing for snaps on the boundary as well as on special teams.
Best Case Scenario: Proving once again that draft position is only a number, Dansby backs up his stellar play from Arizona with an excellent camp and preseason, outperforming fellow rookie Andre Fuller as well as veterans Shemar Jean-Charles and Nehemiah Pritchett to snag the last roster spot at the cornerback position.
Worst Case Scenario: Caught in a crowded position group without the positional flexibility to play in the slot, Dansby holds his own with the third-team defense in August, but he doesn’t get enough opportunities in the preseason to leapfrog over other players to earn a roster spot, instead returning as a practice squad project.
What to Expect: Starting off his NFL journey as well as he possibly could have, Dansby stood out throughout his first offseason program, including intercepting a pair of passes in OTAs and minicamp during red zone team drills. While he doesn’t have great size and didn’t see much time in the slot in college, he possesses the elite change of direction skills and fluid quicks coming out of his breaks to potentially make the transition inside, which would absolutely help his cause vying for a spot on the 53. With two cornerbacks drafted ahead of him in Seattle’s latest class along with Nehemiah Pritchett returning and Noah Igbinoghene signing in free agency, there will be an intense competition set to unfold once camp opens, putting the seventh rounder in a challenging position. But if he can continue to make plays on the football on a regular basis and proves he can contribute as a run defender in the preseason, nobody should be surprised if he orchestrates a legitimate run at making the team.
68. Patrick O’Connell, LB
2025 Stats: 19 tackles, one sack, one tackle for loss
Leaving campus as one of the most decorated defenders in program history, O'Connell stuffed the stat sheet and trophy case in four seasons at Montana. Playing significant snaps as a redshirt sophomore after transferring from the University of Mary, he posted 56 tackles, a team-high 6.5 sacks, and 7.5 tackles for loss, emerging as one of the Grizzlies top defenders. After only playing in two games during an abbreviated COVID spring season in 2020-21, he broke out with a monster junior season, earning First-Team All-Big Sky honors after leading the conference with 14 sacks and posting 22 tackles for loss.
Despite missing three games due to injury as a redshirt senior in 2022, O'Connell once again garnered First-Team All-Big Sky distinction leading the conference in sacks and tackles for loss. He wrapped up his illustrious career with the Grizzlies ranked fourth in program history in tackles for loss and sixth all-time in sacks, earning an invite to the 2023 Hula Bowl before eventually signing with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent. In three NFL seasons, he has appeared in 15 games for the Seahawks, including suiting up for nine games in 2025, producing his first career sack and a career-high in tackles with limited defensive snaps.
Best Case Scenario: Always reliable when granted a chance to play since arriving as an undrafted signee, O’Connell takes another step forward in Mike Macdonald’s defense, leading the team in combined tackles and adding a partial sack in the preseason to beat out Chazz Surratt for the fourth linebacker spot on Seattle’s initial 53.
Worst Case Scenario: Reaching a pinnacle point in his development, O’Connell gradually loses out on reps to a younger, more athletic Chris Paul Jr. and Surratt stays ahead of him on several special teams units, leading to Seattle making the tough decision to move on from the veteran linebacker and retain Paul on the practice squad instead.
What to Expect: Hard-nosed, gritty, and an underrated athlete, O'Connell stands out as the type of player that all coaches want to have on their roster. Bouncing on and off the practice squad in his first three seasons, he has performed at a high level - whether on defense or special teams - when Seattle has called on him on game day, Including stepping up with nine tackles and a sack in a win over the Titans in Nashville last year. He has earned the respect of coaches and teammates alike for his workmanlike approach and consistency, two traits that once again will serve him well vying for a backup linebacker job. But it remains to be seen how much room he has left for improvement, and if he’s closing in on the apex of his potential, it may be tougher for the staff to choose him over the likes of Chris Paul Jr., a younger option with more untapped upside. He will have to continue racking up tackles in bunches to fend off game competition in August, leaving his status on the active roster unclear.
67. Ricky White III, WR
2025 Stats: No statistics in two games played
A standout at Marietta High School in Georgia, White initially began his college career at Michigan State, spending two seasons in East Lansing with 10 catches for 233 yards as a true freshman in 2020. After redshirting in 2021, he transferred to UNLV and immediately emerged as the Runnin’ Rebels top pass catcher. After catching 51 passes in 2022, he surpassed the 1,000-yard mark in his final two seasons with the program. Though drops were an issue for him earlier in his career, he improved steadily in that area at UNLV, finishing with drop rates under 8.5 percent in 2023 and 2024 while scoring 19 touchdowns and producing more than 1,000 yards after the catch.
White also starred on special teams after relocating to Las Vegas, blocking four punts during his college career and returning a punt for a touchdown on just four return attempts during his senior season. Guiding UNLV to a double-digit win season with 11 touchdown receptions, he received an invite to the East West Shrine Bowl and participated in the all-star showcase before being selected by the Seahawks with a seventh round selection. Beaten out by Dareke Young in training camp for the final receiver spot on the depth chart, he spent most of his first year in the league on the practice squad, dressing for two games and playing 13 offensive snaps without any targets. The team re-signed him to a reserve/future deal in February, ensuring another chance to compete for a roster spot in camp.
Best Case Scenario: Turning back the clock to the days where he dominated Mountain West competition, White resurfaces as the latest training camp star for the Seahawks, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards in preseason to beat out incoming rookie Emmanuel Henderson Jr. and veteran Cody White for a roster spot.
Worst Case Scenario: Lost in the shuffle for a second straight summer with limited reps in a talented, crowded receiving room, White only sees the field in the second half of exhibition contests catching passes from Jalen Milroe and records only a handful of short receptions, failing to make the impact necessary to avoid roster cuts.
What to Expect: It’s far from uncommon for late round picks to begin their careers on the practice squad as White did last year, and in plenty of instances, those players have turned into quality contributors on the active roster in time. Given his pedigree as a former Mountain West star on offense and special teams, with another offseason to get stronger and sharpen his route running, he could be poised to take a massive step forward in his development and have a shot at making the 53. Jumping out on special teams in the preseason would help out his odds tremendously, particularly if he can shine on coverage units. With that said, he had a relatively quiet offseason program for the second straight spring and has yet to flash signs of such progression. Squarely on the bubble, he will have to prove himself as a reliable pass catching threat compared to Cody White and Henderson with special teams likely to be the difference between making the team or landing on the ready squad again.
66. Velus Jones Jr., RB/WR
2025 Stats: Four rushes, 32 yards
Beginning his college journey at USC, Jones made his biggest mark for the Trojans on special teams, returning 31 kickoffs for 760 yards as a redshirt freshman. He took on a bigger role as a receiver the following season, catching 24 passes for 266 yards and a touchdown, but after a diminished role on offense in his junior season, he transferred to Tennessee, earning an extra year of eligibility after the NCAA endured a difficult 2020 season during COVID. He finally enjoyed a breakout with the Volunteers in 2021, catching 62 passes for 807 yards and seven touchdowns to go with 628 kick returns and a touchdown on special teams.
Running in the low 4.3s at the NFL combine, Jones heard his name called in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft with the Bears selecting him 71st overall. Chicago utilized him as both a running back and receiver, amassing 210 yards and two touchdowns as an all-purpose gadget player during his rookie season. Over the past three seasons, he has bounced around, spending time with the Bears, Panthers, and Saints before the Seahawks signed him to their practice squad last season. Dressing for three games, he logged four carries in late game action, impressing enough that the Seahawks re-signed him to a future/reserve deal after the Super Bowl. He has been switched back to receiver on the team’s roster, but continued to play running back at OTAs and minicamp.
Best Case Scenario: Finally putting his immense athletic gifts and versatility together to reach his potential, Jones puts on a show throughout the preseason as both a runner and receiver, including posting a 100-plus yard performance, using those efforts to beat out Kenny McIntosh and Jacardia Wright to maintain a practice squad role in Seattle or land a roster spot elsewhere.
Worst Case Scenario: Caught in the crosshairs trying to stand out at two positions with younger options ahead of him on the depth chart, Jones fails to see enough snaps as a running back or receiver to make up ground in the preseason, leading to his release without a practice squad spot offered to him.
What to Expect: Traits-wise, Jones has always intrigued due to his track speed and home run potential, but he hasn't been able to translate those tools to much on-field production regardless of where he has played. The Seahawks liked what they saw from him in reserve duty last season, enough so to warrant re-signing the veteran after the Super Bowl, and his ability to play running back or receiver at an NFL-caliber level gives him a unique perk compared to other bubble candidates. However, the arrival of Jadarian Price and Emanuel Wilson via the draft and free agency led to the team shifting him back to receiver, at least on paper, and there’s even more talent and depth at that position on the defending champions. His versatility improves the odds of returning on the practice squad, but barring injuries ahead of him opening up more playing time, it’s difficult to envision an opportunity for him to make the opening day roster.
Previous 90-Man Rankings
