Seahawks signed 16 undrafted players. A look at the quarterback and wideouts they grabbed.
The end of the NFL draft is just the beginning of the influx of new talent. The Seahawks proved that as they signed 16 undrafted players. Let’s look at the new kids on offense.
16 players is a lot. So many, it sounds like one of our usual exaggerations. Nope, it’s true. So let’s break this down and look at a few players on the offensive side of the ball. First we’ll look at a dual threat quarterback and the three wide receivers the Seahawks picked up.
We’ll jump right back to the last position they added in the draft, quarterback. Seattle signed signal caller Troy Williams of Utah. I’m sure most 12s know Williams began his college career at Washington. He transferred to Santa Monica College after his freshman year, where he connected on 31 touchdowns and was picked off just four times.
Williams finally landed at Utah, where he started 16 games over two seasons. Despite ranking fifth in passing in the Pac-12 as a junior, he lost his starting job to sophomore Tyler Huntley in 2017. I don’t expect him to stick with Seattle, considering he couldn’t keep his job with either the Huskies or the Utes.
The Seahawks brought in three players at wide receiver. First up, John Franklin III of Florida Atlantic. If you think Williams took the long road, wait for Franklin’s trip. He really took the scenic route to the NFL. He originally signed with Florida State. After two years of riding the bench, he transferred to East Mississippi Community College. See “Last Chance U” on Netflix for more on that stop.
More Franklin, more wide receivers
The next stop for Franklin was Auburn, where he was a backup quarterback in all 13 games. He only attempted 26 passes as a Tiger (“War Eagle!”), but did run for 430 yards on just 46 carries. Not satisfied yet, Franklin headed to Lane Kiffin’s program in Boca Raton. Now a grad student, Franklin moved to wide receiver. Once again, he was used primarily as a rushing threat. He only caught 9 passes as an Owl, but ran 16 times for a spectacular 229 yards and two touchdowns.
So why did the well-traveled Franklin even get a look from the Seahawks? Take a look for yourself:
Now, that time wasn’t confirmed. He did run a 4.32 at the combine, which is still pretty fast. And that is what gets you signed by the Seahawks, no matter how long your road was.
Seattle Seahawks
On to our second wide receiver, Taj Williams of Texas Christian. Williams spent two years at Iowa Western Community College, and was ranked the JUCO wide receiver after piling up almost 1,600 yards and 20 touchdowns in two seasons. He had an excellent junior year as a Horned Frog with 39 catches for 702 yards and five touchdowns. Things get interesting in his senior season. The TCU website lists Williams as playing in nine games, while two very reputable sites, nfl.com and sports-reference.com show him appearing in just two games. Everyone agrees he caught a less than spectacular two catches as a senior. That is not a typo; that is two catches for all of 2017.
According to the nfl.com prospect analysis, Williams missed so much time due to family issues beyond his control. If that’s the case, it seems a bit harsh to knock him for inconsistent focus. Regardless, he showed a lot of promise as a junior. He’s 6’4″ and long, so the Seahawks will give him every chance to get his game back.
The third wide receiver just went to one school – boring!
The third wideout Seattle picked up after the draft is Caleb Scott of Vanderbilt. Compared to Franklin and Williams, Scott’s path to the NFL is incredibly boring. He began his college career in Nashville and never left. He got into five games as a freshman, and saw his production peak as a junior. Scott duplicated his sophomore total of 24 catches, but upped the yardage from 339 yards to 466.
Unfortunately – at least for Scott – he lost targets to the more explosive sophomore Kalija Lipscomb in 2017, and just had 18 catches for 178 yards. He did pull in two touchdowns, though. Scott is 6’3″ and 203 pounds, and ran a 4.47 at his pro day. Considering he added some 23 pounds to his frame from the time he first walked onto campus as a freshman, he could certainly add a bit more weight to his frame.
Related Story: Sadly, Seahawks weren't the only team at the draft
Every one of these players have question marks attached. In every case, there are solid reasons they weren’t drafted. All four saw their production drop drastically as seniors, and that usually isn’t a good sign. That being said, we all know that undrafted players can turn out excellent careers. All 12s know a certain Pro Bowler who can attest it doesn’t matter how you get into the league. It only matters what you do once you get there.