Even after selecting two defensive backs in the 2019 NFL draft, the Seattle Seahawks continued to add depth to their depleted secondary, signing three more defensive backs as undrafted free agents.
The trio includes cornerbacks Derrek Thomas and Davante Davis, as well as safety Jalen Harvey.
Of the three, Thomas is the most intriguing. Projected by many draft experts as a sixth- or seventh-round pick, Thomas ended up going undrafted and landed in Seattle as a priority free agent.
At 6-foot-3 and 189 pounds, with a 4.44 40-yard time and 33 3/4 inch arms, Thomas reminds coach Pete Carroll of another Seattle defensive back: Tre Flowers.
“The profile is very similar,” Carroll commented after the conclusion of rookie minicamp. “Size-wise, speed-wise, they’re really close.”
Thomas, unlike Flowers, was exclusively a cornerback while in college. Although he only started 14 games, his length and speed were on display, allowing him to excel in press coverage.
However, his lack of overall experience, not to mention his struggles containing the run game, could limit him in the NFL.
Thomas is definitely a project, but Carroll can hardly resist his long, lengthy defensive backs — which is why he is getting a chance.
If Thomas shows promise in training camp, he could sneak his way onto Seattle’s practice squad — where Carroll and company could mold him into their prototypical defensive back for the future.
