Seattle Seahawks rookie nose tackle Deven Eastern is back on the practice field. The seventh-round pick out of Minnesota had begun training camp on the PUP list, but after passing his physical on Thursday, he was ready to begin an uphill climb toward a roster spot.
Eastern is one of six nose tackles currently listed on the Seahawks' roster. A potential seventh – veteran Johnathan Hankins – announced his retirement the same day Eastern was cleared. It was unlikely Hankins would have played this season – he missed all of 2025 and turned 34 this past March. At 23, Eastern represents the future for the Seattle defensive line.
Still, a lot of very large men stand between the rookie and a place on the Super Bowl champion's active roster. And, as if having six nose tackles in camp weren’t odd enough, the fact that Seattle’s best nose tackle is not even counted among them makes the situation all the more intriguing.
Seattle Seahawks' Deven Eastern’s rise could spell trouble for the rest of the NFL
There are two veterans among those six listed nose tackles. Jarran Reed has been a versatile, reliable presence with Seattle for eight non-continuous seasons.
At 33, his workload may be diminishing, and he does not line up in the A gap (between center and guard) as often as he once did. But unless one of the younger players steps up, Reed could once again be a key component of the interior line rotation.
Brandon Pili is the other veteran – younger than Reed and without nearly the experience. But he appeared in 13 games last season and provided decent relief for the starters.
The other four, like Eastern, are young players with no NFL experience. Bubba Thomas and J.R. Singleton spent time on the practice squad last year. Uso Seumalo is a rookie.
The path for these players is made even more daunting by the presence of Seattle's two young interior linemen, Rylie Mills and Byron Murphy II.
Mills missed most of last season while recovering from a college injury. When he got back on the field late in the season, he was rusty. But he also showed exceptional power and length. Like so many Seahawks defenders, he has the versatility to move inside or outside and could see some time in the A gap.
But the best interior lineman on the team – indeed one of the best in the entire league – is Byron Murphy II. In his second season, Murphy was a terror whenever he played over center. He routinely beat double teams. He has the size, quickness, and technique to handle the job.
The issue for Mike Macdonald is that playing Murphy in the middle limits the damage he can inflict on opposing offenses. He is ideally suited for the B gap (between guard and tackle) and can even line up wide and give opposing tackles fits when rushing the passer.
Last year, among the 20 highest-rated interior linemen in the league, Murphy played the sixth most snaps over center or in the A gap. Most of the players with more snaps were significantly larger. That includes the likes of 350-pound Dexter Lawrence and 341-pound Travis Jones. At just over 300 pounds, Young has the power to play in the middle, but he could do so much more.
Travis Jones played for Mike Macdonald in Baltimore, and I would not be surprised if the coach would like to find someone with that kind of size in Seattle. Deven Eastern isn’t quite that big, but at 6’5” and 320 pounds, he certainly has imposing size. Given his length and youth, there is every reason to believe he may be able to carry a little more bulk at the NFL level.
At 6’5”, Eastern is taller than the classic nose tackle. Murphy’s shorter frame has typically been viewed as preferable when playing near the center. But many of the league’s top nose tackles today have longer frames and have learned how to use that length to their advantage.
It is unlikely that Eastern – or any of the younger nose tackle prospects – will make a big impact this season. But if one or two can step up and show flashes, they could win a spot. And if they do, it may free up Murphy to roam a bit more.
This is what Macdonald does better than any defensive coach. We have already seen it in the secondary, where plus-athletes like Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori and Ty Okada can and do move around both before and after the snap.
We could see the same type of complexity coming up front this year from versatile athletes like Murphy, Mills, and of course, Leonard Williams. In order for that to happen, some of the younger players need to step into reliable rotational roles. That is why the Seahawks drafted Deven Eastern and currently have him in competition with five other nose tackles.
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