Undrafted wide receiver Jazz Ferguson could make push for roster

The Seattle Seahawks selected three wide receivers in the same NFL draft this year for the first time in almost 40 years.

With Doug Baldwin’s return to the game in serious question, Seattle loaded up on draft picks for insurance. But D.K. Metcalf, Gary Jennings and John Ursua are not the only rookies competing for a spot on the roster.

Undrafted free agent Jazz Ferguson out of Northwestern State-Louisiana has what it takes to impress coach Pete Carroll.

“I’ve watched a lot of Jazz to see him do the stuff that a big man does,” Carroll told reporters Friday. “He plays very well at the sidelines and very good body control, a good physical presence going up for the ball, can make that the high catches and can catch the ball back shoulder type stuff. Physical catcher and he’s run well with the ball after the catch and it’s all over his film.”

Besides his nearly 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame, Ferguson’s ability to overcome adversity is also attractive to Carroll. After a short stint at LSU, where he failed a drug test and struggled academically, Ferguson transferred to NSU for a fresh start . . . and it paid dividends.

“You know, the fact that he was a transfer student, you know, weighed into all this,” Carroll continued. “But we’re lucky to have him out here competing cause he is legitimately a big style receiver that could play on the X side over there.”