The Seattle Seahawks, at one point this season, had seven wide receivers all competing for playing time on the 53-man roster. Of those seven, rookie John Ursua was last on the depth chart.
However, his perseverance and continued growth within the system, coupled with injuries and suspensions to the players above him, culminated in him not only getting a chance to play on Sunday against San Francisco, but resulted in a crucial reception on the one-yard line that very nearly won the game, and the NFC West, for the Seahawks.
Now, he’ll look to have a role in the team’s playoff battle with the Eagles in Philadelphia on Sunday afternoon, a role that will be determined by the health of Malik Turner, who is hoping to be cleared by Thursday after suffering a concussion in Week 16 against the Cardinals.
It is very clear Ursua has caught the attention of his coach with his work ethic and skill set in practice this season, and he’s on the verge of unleashing those skills on the rest of the league.
“I think when everybody gets to see John play you’re going to really be excited about him,” Carroll said on Wednesday. “He’s such a natural athlete, he’s got magnificent body control, he’s got excellent quickness, the kind of getting out of your breaks stuff that the best guys have. He’s got a terrific catching range, really good leaper. It’s just a matter of time. I think he could be a terrific inside receiver for us as well as moving him around. But I think the run after catch might be a special part of it. He scored more touchdowns than anyone in college football his last year, you can see why. He’s explosive and creative and he’s got a lot of stuff to him.”
Ursua came to Seattle as a seventh round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. Seattle traded back into the draft to select him, a clear sign he was highly sought after in the final hours of draft weekend.
While he drew comparisons to Doug Baldwin in the preseason, Ursua was slow to pick up the playbook – which banished him to the healthy inactive report for most of the season, despite the accolades.
“It’s been a little bit of a struggle for him just getting it all together and that’s why he’s been the last guy on the depth chart, but as soon as it all clicks and he’s in he’s gonna be a factor,” Carroll continued. “This is really good for him to be around, where there’s a greater sense of urgency and he’s dressing to be a part of it. So, it’s going to bring out the best in John.”
Carroll said Ursua will be involved in the game plan regardless of Turner’s health, although his best path to playing time is if Turner is unable to recover in time for Sunday’s game.
Regardless of whether it happens in January, or not until September, fans can expect big things from the former Hawaii receiver in 2020.
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