5 undrafted Seahawks rookies to watch this preseason

When the Seattle Seahawks take the field on Thursday night for their preseason opener against the Las Vegas Raiders, much of the attention will be on Seattle’s highly intriguing rookie draft class.

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There’s first-round left guard Grey Zabel, who is the franchise’s highest-drafted interior offensive lineman since 2001.

There are two ultra-athletic second-round picks in versatile safety Nick Emmanwori and field-stretching tight end Elijah Arroyo.

There’s fifth-round wide receiver Tory Horton, who’s having a breakout training camp.

There’s 6-foot-3, 274-pound fullback Robbie Ouzts, who seems destined to become a fan favorite.

And of course, there’s third-round quarterback Jalen Milroe – whose electric athleticism and running ability make him one of the most compelling players in the entire 2025 draft class.

But in addition to their draft class, the Seahawks also have some interesting undrafted rookies to keep an eye on this preseason. Here’s a look at five such players:

Jared Ivey | EDGE | 6-6, 274 | Ole Miss

Ivey has a legitimate chance to make the initial 53-man roster, especially with the possibility that Uchenna Nwosu opens the season on the physically unable to perform list.

A projected fifth-round pick by both ESPN’s Matt Miller and NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, the 6-foot-6, 274-pound Ivey was a disruptive force at Ole Miss. In 2024, he posted the seventh-best Pro Football Focus grade among FBS edge rushers and filled up the stat sheet with 7.0 sacks, 11 tackles for losses, two forced fumbles and three pass breakups. And in 2023, he recorded 5.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss and was named the Peach Bowl’s Defensive MVP.

FIRE ME UP @jared_ivey1595 😤 pic.twitter.com/Q2LYSrM0md

— Ole Miss Football (@OleMissFB) October 26, 2024

Connor O’Toole | EDGE | 6-3, 248 | Utah

O’Toole spent his freshman year at Utah as a wide receiver before switching to edge rusher for his final three college seasons. He dealt with multiple injuries, but still managed to record 7.0 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, two forced fumbles, three pass breakups and two blocked field goals in 16 games over the past two seasons. He also showed decent speed at the Big 12 Pro Day, reportedly running a 4.66-second 40-yard dash.

It’s notable that O’Toole’s contract reportedly included $264,000 in guaranteed money. That was the highest value among this year’s Seahawks undrafted rookies and tied for the 15th-highest among all NFL undrafted rookies, according to Spotrac.

Utes come up with the ball after a huge strip sack by Connor O’Toole! 💪 pic.twitter.com/DBUwOeu6Z0

— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) November 25, 2023

Isas Waxter | CB | 6-1, 205 | Villanova

The Seahawks’ top four cornerbacks seem pretty set, but Waxter might have an opportunity to push the likes of Shemar Jean-Charles, Damarion Williams and Nehemiah Pritchett for the fifth corner spot. With a 6-foot-1, 205-pound frame, Waxter brings a physical presence as the second-biggest corner on Seattle’s 90-man roster in both height and weight, behind only 6-4, 210-pound Riq Woolen.

Waxter had three interceptions, 11 pass breakups and four tackles for loss with FCS-level Villanova in 2023 and was an AP FCS All-American honorable mention in 2024, when he had three forced fumbles.

Cold as ice 🥶@isaswaxter2 getting his hand up for the PBU! 🚫#ShrineBowlWHOSNEXT pic.twitter.com/9K4XzRiQzu

— East-West Shrine Bowl (@ShrineBowl) April 1, 2025

Tyrone Broden | WR | 6-5, 194 | Arkansas

The battle for the final one or two wide receiver spots already figures to be extremely crowded, so Broden would have a very steep path to making the 53-man roster. But nevertheless, Broden’s rare combination of height and speed could make him an entertaining player to watch this preseason.

The 6-foot-5 Broden reportedly ran a blazing 4.37 40-yard dash time at his pro day, which would have tied for the sixth-fastest time among wide receivers at the NFL combine. He totaled 1,102 receiving yards and 12 touchdown catches over two seasons at Bowling Green, followed by 315 receiving yards and four TDs over two seasons at Arkansas.

BRODEN to the HOUSE🏡

Matt McDonald finds Tyrone Broden for 64 yards and a score! McDonald now has a career-high three passing TDs.

BGSU 28
Buffalo 10

2:07 | 2 QT pic.twitter.com/MvRSeqHkWS

— BGSU Football (@BG_Football) October 30, 2021

Nick Kallerup | TE | 6-5, 266 | Minnesota

With Brady Russell seemingly moving back into more of a tight end role after the Noah Fant trade, the Seahawks’ top four tight ends seem pretty set. AJ Barner and Elijah Arroyo are primed to be the two feature tight ends, with veteran Eric Saubert serving as a run-blocking specialist and Russell adding depth as a hybrid tight end/fullback. But if one of those players were to get injured, Kallerup may be next in line.

Kallerup has a powerful frame and was an elite blocker in college at Minnesota, where he posted the second-best PFF run blocking grade among FBS tight ends last season.

.@nickkallerup ✍️ @Seahawks #pROWGophers | #RTB pic.twitter.com/AxMtlX9A0r

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) April 27, 2025

More on the Seattle Seahawks

• What Bump is hoping to see for Seattle Seahawks rookie vs Raiders
• Seattle Seahawks injury updates from Macdonald ahead of preseason opener
• Bump & Stacy: Seattle Seahawks should pursue Micah Parsons trade
• Stacy Rost: A different Drew Lock has returned to Seattle Seahawks
• ‘Spectacular’ 1-on-1 Seahawks practice matchup catches Wyman’s eye

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