Bump: A Seahawks UDFA who could be ‘diamond in the rough’

Over the past decade or so, a number of undrafted rookies have worked their way onto the Seattle Seahawks’ roster and carved out roles for themselves.

Why top pick Murphy was the talk of Seahawks rookie minicamp

Wide receivers Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse are the most well-known examples, but the list also includes players such as defensive back DeShawn Shead, running back Thomas Rawls, offensive lineman George Fant, defensive tackle Poona Ford and receiver Jake Bobo.

Is there an undrafted Seahawks rookie from this year’s class who has a chance to achieve a similar success story?

Buddha Jones, a 6-foot-1, 307-pound nose tackle out of Troy, is one such player who has drawn the attention of former NFL receiver Michael Bumpus. Jones participated in Seattle’s rookie minicamp as a tryout player this past weekend and then was signed to the team’s 90-man roster on Sunday. Bumpus watched Jones’ college film and gave a rave review of him during Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Monday.

“When you watched the film, I go, ‘How do I describe this guy?'” Bumpus said. “He’s like the (ocean) current. He is like the motion in the ocean. He is moving massive men left and right when you watch this guy play. They might have found something in this dude right here. If there’s a guy that you want to root for during this preseason that no one really knows about, take a look at this guy.”

Jones began his college career at Kent State before transferring to Troy in 2021. While starting 28 games over the past two seasons, he totaled 57 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, two pass breakups, a forced fumble and three fumble recoveries. He posted an 82.0 Pro Football Focus run defense grade this past season, which ranked 24th among all interior defensive linemen in the FBS.

Q1 10:51 | SCOOP THERE IT IS!

Buddha Jones takes the fumble all the way back for a Trojan touchdown!

🦬: 0
⚔️: 7#RiseToBuild | #OneTROY ⚔️🏈 pic.twitter.com/OJ3v7QfDC9

— Troy Trojans Football 8x⚔️ (@TroyTrojansFB) September 24, 2022

Bumpus said that while Jones’ college stats weren’t eye-catching, his film stood out.

“I think this might be a diamond in the rough,” Bumpus said. “If he makes this ball club, I will not be surprised.”

Co-host Stacy Rost asked Bumpus if there’s any comparison between Jones and the aforementioned Ford, who became a four-year starter with the Seahawks after breaking into the NFL as an undrafted free agent with Seattle in 2018.

“I think, from what I’ve seen on film, he’s better than Poona Ford,” Bumpus said. “This guy can make the team. And he should have been drafted, I think. They lucked out with this one.”

Listen to the full conversation from Monday’s Bump and Stacy in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Bump and Stacy airs live from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.

More Seattle Seahawks coverage

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• Why new Seahawks coach Macdonald is excited about defensive front
• Analyst: Rams would have picked Hawks’ first-rounder Byron Murphy II
• How Seattle Seahawks showed good strategy by passing on OL Troy Fautanu

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