The Seahawks drafted 10 players over seven rounds of the 2016 NFL Draft, but their work wasn't finished when the draft ended. After the draft concluded Saturday afternoon, the Seahawks signed 13 more undrafted rookie free agents, general manager John Schneider said on 710 ESPN Seattle, a group they're very excited about seeing when rookie minicamp begins Friday.
"We signed 13 rookie free agents, and we had draftable grades on all of them,” Schneider said on the Brock and Salk Show. "So you've got a room of personnel guys and coaches after the draft who are so excited, because we have our drafted class over here, and then we have a rookie free agent class over here that everybody is really jacked up about."
One reason Schneider and company are "really jacked up" about their undrafted class is that the Seahawks have been able to find a lot of talent after the draft in years past. In 2015 alone, 32 players who came into the NFL undrafted were on Seattle's game-day roster at some point during the season, with 15 of those players starting at least one game. Seattle's undrafted players include the likes of starting receivers Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse, defensive end Michael Bennett, running back Thomas Rawls, defensive back DeShawn Shead, tackle Garry Gilliam and center Patrick Lewis.
While the Seahawks will confirm the entire list of undrafted free agent signings later in the week, Schneider did comment on several members of that group.
Schneider mentioned USC running back Tre Madden as someone the Seahawks will try at fullback, a position at which the Seahawks currently have no players on the roster. Schneider also said Florida Atlantic defensive tackle Brandin Bryant will be looked at at fullback, noting Bryant is a "really athletic guy, 280-pound guy who ran a 4.86 (40-yard dash)."
Schneider also talked about TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, who will have a chance to compete for the backup job.
Speaking about the UDFAs as a whole, Schneider said, "Some of them have a little rawness to them that our staff thinks they can help them out with, but speed, toughness, that aggressive style, confidence."
On Ohio State safety Tyvis Powell, Schneider noted, "We had a very high grade on him. I was surprised we were able to get him."
Colorado State cornerback DeAndre Elliott "fits the mold" of a Seahawks corner at 6-foot-1, 189 pounds, Schneider said, noting that Elliott is similar to Jeremy Lane. Another name mentioned by Schneider was Western Kentucky's George Fant, a player who could end up playing tight end or tackle.
Undrafted players could factor in at stronside linebacker as well, with Schneider mentioning East Carolina's Montese Overton and Oregon's Christian French as players who will compete there.
The final day of the 2016 NFL Draft began at 9am PT, with John Schnieder, Pete Carroll and staff making early moves to trade up in the fourth round.
