The Seattle Seahawks brought in a whopping 17 undrafted free agents from the 2020 class to compete for spots on the active roster.
Most years, teams are lucky to get one UDFA to make the squad, as they are primarily brought in to give the team extra bodies during training camp.
However, the Seahawks have had plenty of luck in the past, going all the way back to Dave Krieg and including Jermaine Kearse, Doug Baldwin and more recently, defensive tackle Poona Ford.
This years class is sure to have some intriguing players in it, and one who could stand out above the rest is former Stony Brook cornerback Gavin Heslop.
Heslop received a call from the Seahawks during the fifth round of the draft, telling him they were hoping to pick him up if he went undrafted. Just seconds after the draft concluded, he got a call from coach Pete Carroll.
“It meant a lot, just having a NFL team wanting to take a chance on me and bringing me in to be a part of their organization,” Heslop told The Journal News. “I’m just thankful for the opportunity. I’m so grateful for the opportunity, that Pete Carroll and the staff was interested and liked what I was doing on the field and like what type of person I am to give me a chance.”
Heslop stands six-foot-one and has 32 inch arms, which is a near requirement to be an outside cornerback in Carroll’s defense. He was a three-year starter at Stony Brook, and earned All-CAA honors twice. He posted 52 tackles, 8.5 for loss, 1.5 sacks, a pair of blocked kicks, three forced fumbles, three recoveries, and one defensive touchdown in his final season with the Seawolves.
Heslop’s best path to making the active roster would be if Quinton Dunbar, currently facing legal issues in Florida, is unable to start the season with the team. If Dunbar is able to play, the team will have Dunbar, Shaquill Griffin, Ugo Amadi, Tre Flowers and Neiko Thorpe all likely reprising roles on the defense and special teams.
However, Heslop’s length and athleticism would make him a dynamite special teams contributor, and there’s plenty of reason to think Seattle will keep him around to contribute in that role, if they can find a way to sneak him onto the active roster or at least the (expanded) practice squad.
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