Seahawks undrafted free agent is about to kick a second-rounder to the curb

The Seattle Seahawks have found the right player to step in for a second-round pick that never panned out. He's already shown more in the preseason than the veteran has in his entire career.

The Seahawks have a long history of finding top talent among the undrafted free agents. It looks like they've found another diamond in the rough this year. I'm not saying he's going to be an immediate superstar, but he'll make an immediate impact, for sure.

The Seahawks have found another weapon among the hundreds of hopeful college players who, for one reason or another, didn't show enough to hear their name called in the draft.

The Seattle Seahawks have a new Swiss Army knife player in Dee Williams

Remember when the Hawks drafted Dee Eskridge? Man, that was so long ago, he was D'Wayne Eskridge on the second day of the draft back in 2021. I was certainly hyped about the Hawks' first pick of that draft. It's not like I was wrong, at least not about the facts. Eskridge was faster than Tyler Lockett, and quicker than DK Metcalf. Faster as in straight 40 times and quicker as in the three-cone drill. He was a touchdown machine in his senior season (eight TDs in just 34 catches). His team only played six games that year due to the COVID pandemic. He was a solid kick returner as well.

So of course, he was an immediate star when he arrived in Seattle. Or maybe, not so much. He only caught 10 of his 20 targets as a rookie and returned two kicks. He was even less productive in his sophomore season, with a mere seven catches to his credit. At least he matched that number of kick returns, although he wasn't exactly effective in the role, not with a 21.4 yard average. Then last year, outside of one great kickoff return, he was practically invisible.

Now let's take a look at one of the Seahawks less-heralded rookies, Dee Williams. The former Tennessee Volunteer (sorry UT fans, Vol for life) didn't get a single scholarship offer out of high school. He admits that was his own fault, as he didn't take grades seriously then. Bob Condotta - of course - has the rundown on Williams' journey to Seattle. East Central Community College in Decatur Mississippi is a long way from big-time college football, let alone the NFL. But 13 interceptions in 23 games is going to get you noticed no matter where you play.

That brought Williams to Knoxville Tennessee, where he played both cornerback and wide receiver for the Vols. He played sparingly at each; his bread and butter was the return game. He returned kickoffs and punts, setting a school record with 15.4 yards per return in the punt game, taking two to the house for scores. That got him noticed in Seattle, who wasted little time in offering him a guaranteed $100,000 contract to bring him to the Seahawks.

The Hawks initially tried him at wide receiver, then moved him to corner where he saw the bulk of his success in college. He had two tackles and broke up a pass against the Chargers, then defended another pass against the Titans. According to Pro Football Focus (subscription required), he's allowed just one reception on five targets for a passer rating of 57.1. Yeah, I know that was against second and third-stringers, but D.J. James faced the same competition, and his rating is 147.9. That's not the best way to make the team.

Regardless, Williams is on the Seahawks to return kicks and punts. He took the opening kickoff in Nashville back for 41 yards, nearly matching Laviska Shenault's 44-yarder against the Chargers. He handled all the punt returns in the Hawks second preseason game, in fact. While he only had one return and three fair catches, his reasoning fit perfectly with his coaching. As he related in Condotta's article, he had to play it smart.

Special teams coach Jay Harbaugh said earlier in camp (again, per Bob Condotta), “You have to be a guy who’s great at fielding the ball and then super trustworthy in decision-making during all game situations, knowing the rules, and all that stuff. Once you’ve satisfied that and checked that box, then, from the remaining players, you want somebody with explosiveness and the ability to hit the home run. If you’re going to pick, though, you’d err on the side of being sure-handed and trustworthy back there.”

All this adds up to a player who's among the team leaders in cornerback play, has been explosive in the return game, and can even play at wide receiver in a pinch. I'm sure Eskridge will get some looks in the final preseason game against the Browns, probably as one last showcase as trade bait. You know, just as the Seahawks did with Nick Harris. To me, it looks like there's a new Dee in town, 12s.

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