The Seattle Seahawks made 11 picks in the 2025 NFL Draft, and there are a lot of names worth watching from the class.
But the interesting rookies added by the Seahawks over the weekend aren’t limited to those they drafted.
Brock: Why Seattle Seahawks had ‘one of the best’ drafts
Following the draft, NFL teams then go to work signing undrafted rookies and inviting them to their rookie minicamps. And while it’s not something you can expect, sometimes those players prove to be valuable.
For instance, the Seahawks alone have received notable contributions from undrafted wide receivers Jermaine Kearse and Jake Bobo over the years, and multi-time Pro Bowlers Doug Baldwin and Michael Bennett both signed with Seattle after going undrafted.
So who could be the Hawks’ next undrafted standout? There’s one name on the their UDFA list this year that jumps out to Seattle Sports’ Brock Huard, a longtime college football analyst and former NFL quarterback: UNLV linebacker Jackson Woodard.
Related: See the Seattle Seahawks’ 2025 UDFA additions
“Back-to-back years in the Mountain West championship game,” Huard pointed out Monday on Brock and Salk about the UNLV Rebels. “They’re not there without that guy in the middle of their defense.”
Who else??
🔴MW Defensive Player of the Year
🔴MW First Team@jackson_wood23 pic.twitter.com/ZE63LJwoEX
— UNLV Football (@unlvfootball) December 3, 2024
The 22-year-old Woodard was the Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year as a senior in 2024, becoming the first UNLV player in 17 years to win the honor. He made 135 total tackles in 14 games, but what really stands out are his takeaways (four interceptions and two fumble recoveries in 2024) and ability to make plays against the pass (16 passes defensed).
The 6-foot-2, 234-pound Woodard isn’t blessed with elite speed, but Huard said he has something that’s hard to teach.
“Three years at Arkansas, originally a walk-on because he ran 4.7 (seconds in the 40-yard dash) so he doesn’t blow you away in any traits like all these draft picks did. But just his nose for the ball and his instincts to be around the ball,” Huard said. “And he’s all about ball.”
That’s something Huard learned about Woodard through his job calling games on FOX.
“Chatting with those UNLV coaches and it’s like, yeah, this is why we’re here. It’s difference-makers like (Woodard) that elevate everybody around him,” Huard said. “He’s accountable, he’s in guys’ faces, he’s physical.
“… Those are the kind of guys you want on your roster, that just find a way. And then how is he making plays? I can’t define his instincts, but they’re very, very unique.”
Brock Huard answers three football questions during the daily Blue 88 segment at 7:45 a.m. on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. Catch the full show from 6-10 a.m. weekdays.
More on the Seattle Seahawks
• Why Big Ray is big fan of Seahawks’ top pick Grey Zabel
• Seahawks believe they filled needs with 11 draft picks
• Rost: Seahawks’ exciting draft picks have one thing in common
• What experts are saying about the Seahawks’ NFL Draft class
• 2025 Seattle Seahawks Draft Breakdown: A look at all 11 picks
