Seahawks 90-Man Rundown: More Seasoned Mike Jerrell Poised For Sophomore Breakout
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Seattle Seahawks tackle Mike Jerrell works on footwork during a drill at an organized team activity in June. Credit: Mike Jerrell/Instagram [/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.
After getting his feet wet in crash course format as a rookie, does Mike Jerrell have a sophomore leap in him working with a new coaching staff as he vies for the swing tackle job?
Mike Jerrell
Height/Weight: 6-5, 309 pounds
2024 Stats: 15 pressures, three sacks allowed
A late bloomer at Pike High School in Indianapolis, Jerrell didn't start full-time on the varsity football team until sliding out to tackle from tight end during his senior season. After watching him dominate on the basketball court, Division II program Findlay offered him a scholarship and over six years with the program, he developed from a 250-pound recruit into a multi-time Division II All-American for the Oilers. Impressing at Ohio State's pro day workout with dynamic athletic testing at 309 pounds and participating in the Hula Bowl all-star showcase, his stock soared to the point where the Seahawks invested a sixth round pick on him in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Expected to need significant time on the practice field before he would be ready to potentially play on Sundays, Jerrell exceeded those expectations in training camp, holding his own against the likes of Boye Mafe and Derick Hall in one-on-ones and securing a backup job on the 53-man roster. When injuries struck, including veteran George Fant going down for all but two games, he was thrust into the starting lineup for three contests and saw snaps on offensive in six games, allowing 15 pressures and three sacks. With a full NFL offseason under his belt, he will be out to demonstrate substantial improvements across the board once again battling for a reserve spot in his sophomore season.
Fun Fact: Per Pro Football Focus, Jerrell received a 54.8 pass blocking grade, which ranked ahead of five qualified rookie tackles who were drafted higher than him in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Best Case Scenario: Far more polished fundamentally heading into his second season and benefiting from the presence of veteran coach John Benton, Jerrell looks like a different player on the practice field and in preseason games, posting a top-five overall grade for tackles from PFF in the preseason and easily holding onto a roster spot as a primary backup behind starters Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas.
Worst Case Scenario: Even with his top-of-the-line athletic traits, Jerrell doesn’t make the second year leap that the Seahawks hoped he would, struggling in exhibition games as incoming seventh-round pick Mason Richman leap frogs him on the depth chart, leading to his release before being claimed off waivers by another team.
What to Expect in 2025: Since he was trying to make the jump to the league from a Division II school, the Seahawks likely would have preferred Jerrell not have to be forced into game action as a rookie while developing his craft behind the scenes. But that’s not how things played out in 2024 and while he certainly had his bumps in the road and got exposed by NFL pass rushers a fair amount in his six games played, he also flashed his potential at times, including springing Ken Walker III for touchdown runs in road wins over the Falcons and 49ers.
This experience could pay major dividends for Jerrell coupled with a full offseason working on getting stronger and shoring up his technique, especially in a scheme that demands athleticism and movement skills from tackles such as the one deployed by new coordinator Klint Kubiak. A 90th percentile athlete for his position, he has all the physical tools to be able to succeed in a wide-zone heavy system and how things play out this summer will depend on the amount of progress he has made working on his hand placement and being better prepared to deal with NFL-caliber counters. If he takes a significant step forward in that department, it’s not out of the question he could push incoming veteran Josh Jones for the swing tackle job behind Cross and Lucas. At the same time, however, if he doesn’t show the improvement the team is counting on, Richman will be a candidate to knock him off the roster.
