The Seattle Seahawks added to their secondary during April’s NFL draft, selecting two safeties, Marquise Blair and Ugo Amadi.
Blair, Seattle’s hard-hitting, first pick of the second round, will compete for a starting spot on this year’s roster. But it’s Amadi who Touchdown Wire’s Doug Farrar believes could make an immediate contribution this season.
“The Seahawks lost slot defender Justin Coleman to the Lions in free agency, which leaves a big hole in a secondary that’s still trying to find its way in the post-Legion of Boom era,” Farrar writes. “Amadi played all over the defensive backfield for Oregon, and though his size (5-foot-9, 199 pounds) may limit him to a speed slot role at the NFL level, he’s certainly shown the ability to do that – last season, he allowed just 36 catches on 64 slot targets for 418 yards and an opponent passer rating of 67.1.”
The Seahawks snagged Amadi the fourth round out of Oregon, and promptly put him to work during the rookie minicamp last weekend.
“He played nickel and safety,” coach Pete Carroll said of Amadi. “Played a lot of nickel in the camp, which was good. More than I thought he would. And he was very comfortable there.”
While it’s still early to be making final roster projections, Amadi is clearly being given the opportunity of a lifetime. He now just needs to prove he’s deserving.
