Deven Eastern was a seventh-round pick for the Seattle Seahawks in 2026, but he is injured and has been placed on the physically unable to perform list. His loss of reps is likely to open up a chance for undrafted nose tackle Uso Seumalo, a player not far off, if at all, from Eastern's skill set.
The team isn't likely to keep two or three players at the position. Neither Eastern nor Seumalo offers any positional flexibility, and head coach Mike Macdonald's system thrives on players who can play multiple positions. Plus, Seattle already has Brandon Pili, who was a solid run-stopper and surprisingly good on special teams last year.
At most, Seattle would keep two nose guards, and Pili is probably one of those. That leaves the battle for the other potential spot between Eastern and Seumalo, and as Eastern is hurt with no firm timeline for his return, Seumalo suddenly has an advantage.
Seattle Seahawks' Uso Seumalo might have a real chance at making the 2026 roster
To be fair, training camp has not yet begun, and Eastern could come off PUP at any point before the season, but he also missed organized team activities. He clearly had an injury during the time the team drafted him, and that has kept him from playing.
But none of the nose guards, even Pili, have a guaranteed spot on the roster. They remain valuable because having players who can do at least one part of their job at a brilliant level is important. If that means being counted on in stopping the run, so be it.
Eastern wasn't likely to chase quarterbacks down with consistency, and Seumalo won't do that either. He only had 2.5 sacks in 50 games at Kansas State. Eastern only had 4.5 sacks in 45 games at Minnesota.
Assuming the two rookies are battling for the same role as a backup nose tackle, and Eastern is currently injured, Seumalo will have every opportunity when training camp begins in full on July 25 to prove he deserves a roster spot. He also has the week before veterans arrive to let the team know he is ready to make the most of his opportunity.
Seumalo is surprisingly quick once he gets into the backfield, but he didn't do that very much in college. His initial burst might be in question since he didn't give himself a lot of opportunities to hit QBs. Or maybe the problem was his assignments in college.
Maybe he transitions quickly to the professional level and is an elite fit in the Seattle Seahawks' scheme. If that happens, he won't only be the next undrafted gem discovered by general manager John Schneider,
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