RENTON, Wash. - Undrafted rookies have odds squarely stacked against them to make an NFL roster, trying to scratch and claw for reps with established veterans and draft picks ahead of them on the depth chart and little to no margin for error when opportunity strikes.
It's safe to say that rookies in general rarely arrive at their first NFL training camp with a head start on the rest of the competition, especially undrafted signees. But in yet another unconventional chapter in his anything but typical football story, Seattle Seahawks tight end Jack Westover has had everyone from quarterback Geno Smith to receiver DK Metcalf in his ear as the team learns new coordinator Ryan Grubb's offense, which the undrafted rookie starred in at Washington the past two seasons.
Thriving in Grubb's offense, Westover evolved from a former walk-on into one of Heisman finalist Michael Penix Jr.'s most trusted targets in clutch situations, catching 77 passes for 775 yards and five touchdowns in 2022 and 2023. Now, he's trying to keep his NFL dream alive playing for the local team in an offense that he knows inside and out, which has made him a popular teammate in meeting rooms and on the field.
"I think the coolest thing for me is just being able to come in and have the respect of the vets, as far as the playbook goes X's and O's wise, just having that respect," Westover said prior to Seattle's third training camp practice. "Then obviously, having gone on the field and earned a different type of respect as far as playstyle, and so it's been cool to be able to just have that conversation with them and have them just be open to it."
Long before sporting a navy blue No. 89 practice jersey for the first time in May, eight years ago, Westover wasn't even on the radar as a Division I football prospect. Known more for his basketball talents, he decided to give football another shot entering his senior year at Mount Si High School, located 25 minutes east of downtown Seattle.
Jumping right into the starting lineup at tight end, Westover made an immediate impact for the Wildcats potent offense. Unfortunately, his lone season with the program came to an abrupt end when he suffered a season-ending injury as he plowed over a defender at the goal line for a touchdown in the second game, preventing him from having an opportunity to emerge as a rising late recruit in the Pacific Northwest.
But Westover didn't give up on his dream despite the adversity and thanks to his athletic profile and raw skills, he remained on the radar for several local programs. Rather than play for a smaller school and potentially transfer down the road, he chose to walk on at Washington, taking the challenging path of paying his own way to school with hopes of earning a scholarship.
Though he didn't play in any games as a freshman with the Huskies redshirting him and he received some tough on the job lessons trying to block against future NFL defensive ends such as Joe Tryon on the practice field, Westover earned the Brian Stapp Special Teams Scout Squad MVP that year, setting the stage for him to see action in 2019.
"You definitely learn the hard way when you're blocking Joe Tryon, who has seven foot wingspan, and then you're just basically a basketball player at that point," Westover laughed. "I'm coming in and just learning the game, but you definitely learned the hard way and I was able to go up against some really good defensive ends that wound up in the NFL."
Packing on muscle to his frame during his time on campus and developing himself into a quality all-around player, Westover blossomed into a 250-pound tight end over the course of six seasons with the Huskies program. After struggling as a blocker early in his college career, with the extra work in the weight room paying dividends, he learned how to win at the point of attack despite lacking prototypical size and length for the tight end position.
"I knew I'm not gonna be able to block the same way as other tight ends because I'm a little shorter, not as long as them," Westover added. "But I think being able to utilize my speed, my quickness, my feet, beating guys off the ball, getting my feet in the ground quicker than other guys, that's something that I just had to understand. It had to be a strength of mine compared to the other way around."
Along with growing into a competent blocker who could hold his own either as an inline tight end or an H-back, Westover continued to make a significant impact as a pass catcher, dropping just four passes on 114 targets and posting a 76.3 percent catch rate during five seasons. Playing a key role in Washington's ascent to a national championship game berth, he caught five passes on six targets in a loss to Michigan, standing out as a bright spot in defeat while playing through an injury.
Recovering from ruptured ligament in his wrist, Westover didn't participate in athletic testing at the NFL combine, but he returned to catch passes from Penix and run the 3-cone drill and short shuttle at Washington's pro day on March 28. Going undrafted, it didn't take long for the Seahawks to lock him up as one of their priority free agents, linking him back up with Grubb, who joined new coach Mike Macdonald's staff as offensive coordinator in February after spending a few days in the same role at Alabama.
Living the dream as a hometown kid donning a Seahawks uniform, Westover's presence has been notable since his first practice in May, as his experience in Grubb's scheme has been evident during team drills. When he has had opportunities to work with Smith, the quarterback has shown plenty of confidence in him, and backup Sam Howell ended Friday's practice session by finding him in the red zone period for a touchdown in the flats.
While Westover has been a welcomed resource for his new teammates due to his knowledge of the new offense, he has remained a sponge learning as much as he can watching how veterans Noah Fant and Pharaoh Brown handle their business on and off the field with intent and purpose. Both players have also been more than happy to answer questions and offer advice for the rookie along the way, making his transition to the next level "pretty smooth" thus far.
As an undrafted signee, Westover will have an uphill climb to make Seattle's 53-man roster, especially with fellow rookie AJ Barner coming on board as a fourth-round pick out of Michigan. With most teams carrying three tight ends on the active roster, he will have to show out on special teams to improve his chances of landing one of the final spots, and a major litmus tests awaits with the first padded practice coming on Monday as he begins to test his mettle blocking NFL defenders.
But considering he wasn't on anyone's radar as an NFL prospect not that long ago and overcame no shortage of obstacles to reach this point with the Seahawks, Westover continues to take the experience in stride, thankful for the chance to battle for a spot on the team to begin with. Holding a unique advantage with his insight on Grubb's offense, he's confident he can execute as a receiver, blocker, and special teamer to the level necessary to make the team, and he's excited to see how he stacks up as training camp unfolds.
"There's not a lot of people that have my background, my story, not really playing high school football to walking on and making it to here. So just grateful."
