The Seattle Seahawks chose two Auburn cornerbacks in 2024. One, DJ James, was so terrible in training camp and the preseason that he didn't make the active roster. The other, Nehemiah Pritchett, wasn't much better, but has managed to hang around the team into season three.
As a rookie, he was so ineffective that many fans might have wondered why he was still on the team. When he entered a game, the opponent picked on him. He played on 99 coverage snaps and was targeted 20 times, allowing 13 receptions for 205 yards and a touchdown.
Last season, he saw the field less, and to begin the season, he was somehow worse. In Week 5 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, one of Seattle's three losses in the season, he played coverage on 14 snaps, gave up three catches on as many targets, and two were for touchdowns. He was seemingly lucky that he wasn't released following the game.
Nehemiah Pritchett could prove the Seattle Seahawks were right in taking a chance on him
And yet, Pritchett made what was arguably one of the plays of the season in Week 10 in a somewhat tight victory against the Arizona Cardinals. On a sure touchdown catch by wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., Pritchett was able to knock the ball out of Harrison's hands just before he landed in the end zone. It was an astonishingly athletic and cerebral play by the Seattle cornerback.
The play might not only have pushed Seattle toward a win, but also changed the course of Pritchett's career. He wasn't perfect after that, but from Week 10 on, he wasn't targeted when he entered a game, even while his reps were limited.
Pritchett with the PBU 🚫 pic.twitter.com/13A7zBpOmz
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) November 10, 2025
The cornerback has good size at 6'1" and 190 pounds, and though he needs to perfect his tackling technique, he doesn't appear to shy away from opposing ball-carriers. If he can show he's more willing and able in training camp, he could see his reps rise once the regular season begins.
He has a path to doing so as the Seattle Seahawks let Riq Woolen walk in free agency, and while the team drafted Julian Neal in this year's draft and brought back Josh Jobe, there are cornerback reps to be had for the Seahawks in 2026. Pritchett wasn't chosen in 2024 to not work out. The team has kept him around for a reason, even when fans might have wondered why.
Is Nehemiah Pritchett expected to start this season? Not at all, but as 12s all know, head coach Mike Macdonald is going to rotate players in at most positions. Pritchett will get his chance to shine. If he plays an entire season as he did against the Cardinals in Week 10 last season, he won't just get a few chances to start. He could turn into a star.
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