By all accounts, the Seattle Seahawks had a highly productive NFL Draft.
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They added high-upside talent, tackled some of their biggest needs, filled in depth at key spots and perhaps even grabbed a late-round steal or two.
With the draft now in the rearview mirror, are there still any lingering areas the Seahawks need to address?
When posed that question during Wednesday’s Four Down Territory segment on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy, former NFL wide receiver Michael Bumpus pointed to the team’s inside linebacker depth.
The Seahawks have a quality starting inside linebacker duo in Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight. Both were part of a midseason shakeup at the position that helped spur a defensive turnaround over the final eight games.
But behind Jones and Knight, the depth is razor-thin.
The other three inside linebackers on Seattle’s roster – third-year pro Drake Thomas, fourth-year pro Josh Ross and third-year pro Patrick O’Connell – are all inexperienced. Thomas has logged just 41 career defensive snaps at the NFL level, while Ross and O’Connell have yet to play a snap on defense.
“You’ve got to look at interior linebackers,” Bumpus said. “I’m a bit concerned. … You need some depth there, because with this defense and the way you want to play with the violence and whatnot, there are gonna be games where (Jones or Knight) need a break, or they’re gonna get nicked up.
“This is football. Guys get hurt. It’s not a matter of if. It’s a matter of when you get hurt in this game.”
What are Seattle’s options?
The good news for the Seahawks is there are still avenues to bolster their linebacker depth.
Seattle is reportedly signing a pair of undrafted free agent linebackers: UNLV’s Jackson Woodard and Illinois’ Seth Coleman. Woodward was the 2024 Mountain West defensive player of the year, while Coleman racked up 13.5 sacks, 21 tackles for loss and 13 pass breakups over the past three seasons.
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There also are still some veteran linebackers available on the free agent market, including former All-Pro Eric Kendricks, five-time Pro Bowler C.J. Mosley and former All-Pro De’Vondre Campbell. However, all three of those linebackers are age 31 or older.
“You’ve got some guys out there, but most of these guys are toward the back nine of their career,” Bumpus said. “… So that’s one position I’m still looking at and saying, all right, you’ve gotta secure that.”
Listen to the full Four Down Territory segment at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
