The initial NFL waiver assignments came out Wednesday morning, and the Seattle Seahawks have been awarded one successful claim: defensive back Derion Kendrick from the Los Angeles Rams.Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer posted the initial waiver claims at 9:54 a.m. PST.Kendrick played for two blue blood college programs in Clemson and Georgia before the Rams drafted him in the sixth round of the 2022 NFL Draft. He won national championships with both, with the Tigers in 2018 as a freshman and with the Bulldogs as a senior in 2021.He was a blue chip high school recruit as a wide receiver, with 247Sports ranking him as a five-star recruit, the 30th overall player in the nation, the 6th WR, and 3rd in South Carolina. He played in all 15 games in Clemson’s 2018 National Championship season, racking up 210 yards on just 15 receptions- but switched sides of the ball heading into his sophomore year.His big play athleticism fit solidly on defense during 2018 and 2019 with Clemson, but he found new life after transferring to Georgia and playing 787 snaps in a defense loaded with NFL talent. He was invited to the NFL Combine, but his measurables didn’t match the athleticism he’d shown in-game and scared NFL teams off. A quick look at his profile on nflmockdraftdatabase.com shows the downward graph accentuated by his poor combine season in February and March, after tons of first round mock drafts included him throughout the draft cycle before then.Kendrick has struggled to stay healthy and get on the field in the NFL, but enters his fourth season with vastly more experience than the average waiver claim. He had a solid 2023 season, which Seahawks fans will remember for this game-stealing interception off Drew Lock in the 4th quarter of Week 11. He tore his ACL in July of 2024 and didn’t appear all season, but was a thorn in the Seahawks’ side last time he did. He’s had a long and interesting journey from a top recruit in high school to a two-time national champion to facing the challenges of the next level, and will look to continue progressing into an NFL veteran as he stays around.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks claim DB Derion Kendrick off Rams’ waivers