Seahawks 90-Man Rundown: J.R. Singleton Seeking Rotational Role After Stellar College Career
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Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle J.R. Singleton watches teammate Leonard Williams during a drill at the VMAC. Credit: Corbin Smith/Emerald City Spectrum [/caption]
With their offseason program all wrapped up, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC on July 23, meaning the start of the upcoming season will be here before fans have a chance to blink.
In preparation for year number two under coach Mike Macdonald, I’ll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, dishing out fun facts, exploring best and worst case scenarios, and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2025 campaign.
One of the most underrated standouts in the Big 12 conference a year ago, will undrafted rookie J.R. Singleton be able to hang tough battling for a reserve spot along Seattle’s defensive line?
J.R. Singleton
Height/Weight: 6-1, 299 pounds
2024 Stats: 32 tackles, four sacks, five tackles for loss
A three-star recruit out of Warren Township High School in Illinois, Singleton had nibbles from several Power 4 programs, ultimately choosing to play at Iowa State over Illinois, Louisville, and Michigan State among schools that offered a scholarship. Following a redshirt season in 2020, he saw his first extended action as a redshirt freshman with 12 tackles and two tackles for loss, positioning himself to jump into the starting lineup in 2022. He enjoyed a breakout year in 2023, racking up 22 tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Cyclones, proving himself to be quite disruptive as a penetrator in the interior both as a pass rusher and against the run.
Finishing off his college career on a strong note in Ames, Singleton was selected a co-captain for Iowa State and set new career-highs in tackles, sacks, and quarterback hits in 2024, earning Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors for the first time. Despite his success in one of the more premier conferences in college football helping lead the Cyclones to two Big 12 title game berths and a solid performance at his pro day workout, he did not participate in a pre-draft all-star showcase and went undrafted, signing as a priority free agent with the Seahawks in late April. He will likely compete for reserve snaps as a 3-tech defensive tackle and a 5-tech defensive end in Macdonald’s scheme.
Fun Fact: Amid a breakthrough 2023 season for the Cyclones, Singleton notched 18 quarterback hurries, which ranked in the top 50 among interior rushers at the FBS level.
Best Case Scenario: Picking up where he left off at Iowa State, Singleton impresses as a pass rusher in Seattle’s preseason slate, finishing with a partial sack and two quarterback hits, beating out veteran Mike Morris for an unexpected roster spot as a reserve 3-tech defender behind Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and Byron Murphy II.
Worst Case Scenario: Lacking the twitch and athletic juice for his pass rushing production to translate against NFL competition and overwhelmed in the run game, Singleton loses out on preseason reps to other undrafted rookies such as Anthony Campbell, putting the writing on the wall for his release without a practice squad spot offered.
What to Expect in 2025: Though he wasn’t one of Iowa State’s bigger names in comparison to future draft picks such as Jayden Higgins, Jaylen Noel, and Darian Porter on the roster drawing far more acclaim, Singleton emerged as a key piece in the Cyclones re-emergence as a College Football Playoff contender a year ago. His disruptive capabilities caused major problems for Big 12 interior offensive lines, leading to 11 tackles for loss, 7.5 sacks, and three forced fumbles in his time on campus, rock solid numbers for a defensive tackle at any level. With above-average quickness at 300 pounds, it’s not out of the question his success could transition to the pro game.
As is often the case with productive college defensive linemen who go undrafted, however, Singleton’s lack of size and length (32 1/2-inch arms) will be the greatest obstacles for him to overcome against NFL blockers. Underwhelming measurables don’t always determine success at the next level, but he will have to prove himself all over again as a technician who uses his hands effectively to discard blocks while also frequently winning with an explosive first step. If he’s able to do those two things and isn’t bullied by NFL strength, the door has been cracked open following the departure of veterans Roy Robertson-Harris and Cameron Young this offseason for an undrafted rookie to potentially play onto the roster or at minimum be a prime practice squad candidate.
