For much of this offseason, I have been predicting that Seattle Seahawks’ general manager John Schneider would eventually get around to signing veteran cornerback Arthur Maulet, who most recently played for the Baltimore Colts.
Part of my belief was based on the fact that Seattle has some serious concerns about its depth at corner. Part of it was based on the fact that Maulet played pretty well under Mike Macdonald back in 2023. He seemed to check multiple boxes.
It turns out Schneider was playing five-D chess while I was playing checkers. He has waited until the Houston Texans signed Maulet and then swooped in to pick up the UDFA the Texans cut to make room for the vet. That’s how Keydrain Calligan became the newest member of the Seahawks’ secondary this week.
With Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, Josh Jobe, and Shaq Griffin seemingly locked in, competition remains for two or three cornerback spots on the final roster. That race seems wide open right now, and do not expect Calligan to be the only new player Schneider brings in for an audition.
Keydrain Calligan might have found a long-term home with the Seattle Seahawks
Let’s get this out of the way up front. Autocorrect is determined to change his name to “Keychain Callahan.” My editor here at 12th Man states quite accurately that “Keychain Callahan” would be an awesome name for a minor character in a western, but that’s not who we are dealing with. If it slips in somewhere in the following paragraphs, I apologize in advance for not catching it.
The football player Keydrain Calligan has the physical tools to compete in the NFL. Standing about 6’0” and weighing around 200 pounds, he has good speed (4.45 in the 40), solid agility (4.23 in the short shuttle), and above-average upper body strength (20 bench press reps).
Those are not elite numbers, and simple drill results don’t guarantee a player can perform on the field. But physically, Calligan is right there with many of the players he will compete against.
He bounced around in college, going from Louisiana-Monroe to Jackson State to Southeastern Louisiana over the last three years. He steadily progressed, playing in a variety of roles, and was chosen as first-team All-Southland and first-team All-Louisiana in 2024.
In his college career, Calligan saw time at safety and nickel back before becoming SE Louisiana’s top boundary corner last year. He also took a lot of special teams snaps in college.
We haven’t seen Calligan perform on the field yet so any predictions as to where he might end up – roster, practice squad, release – are premature. But we do know these three things:
- Seattle does not have any locks at corner after its top four.
- Mike Macdonald is building an entire defensive secondary that provides great flexibility, with players able to do multiple things.
- DeMeco Ryans showed interest in him.
As for the first point, Calligan has some catching up to do, but assuming he can, he should be right in the mix for one of the final roster spots. Point 2? Calligan has already displayed the ability to move around the defensive backfield and be productive.
And regarding the third point, there are some coaches, GMs, or entire organizations that seem to have a knack for identifying particular types of players. There’s a reason why any time a Philadelphia Eagle lineman – on either side of the ball – becomes available, he usually commands a high price in free agency.
Other teams recognize that Philly values line play more than any team in the league. Their lineman tend to be very good.
Ryans has only been with the Texans for a couple of years, but he has already built a strong defense. That is especially true in the secondary. Derek Stingley Jr. and Kamari Lassiter form one of the best tandems in the NFL, and even with the retirement of Ronald Darby, Houston has a number of good young prospects. Jalen Pitre, C.J. Gardner-Johnson, and Calen Bullock are versatile safeties.
You could argue that Ryans evaluated Calligan and found him wanting, which is why he was released. But there could be reasons related to fit and personality that went into the decision. We know Ryans liked the young player at one point. He may think the veteran Maulet fits Houston better in 2025, when the Texans are looking to make a deep playoff run.
For Seattle, a young prospect like Calligan may turn out to be the better bet long term.