Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Cedrick Lattimore

Though he had to wait until the playoffs for a chance to play, Lattimore showed signs of being a capable NFL defensive tackle for the Seahawks in a wild card loss to the Rams. Can he build off of that momentum to earn a roster spot behind Poona Ford in August?

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jun 20, 2021 2:30 PM EDT

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason programs recently wrapping up, NFL training camps will begin around the league in less than two months. To celebrate the new incoming season, we will be breaking down the Seahawks' 90-man roster over the next several weeks, exploring best and worst case scenarios and what to expect from each player entering the 2021 campaign.

Cedrick Lattimore, Defensive Tackle

Height/Weight: 6-foot-3, 300 pounds

2020 Stats: Six tackles in one playoff game

Originally hoping to play basketball collegiately, Lattimore shifted his focus towards football late in his high school career and earned a full scholarship from Iowa. After a breakout senior season with the Hawkeyes, he inked a contract with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent and spent training camp with the team. While he made some impressive plays during mock scrimmage games last August, he wasn't quite able to crack the 53-man roster and was waived in early September. He promptly signed to the practice squad and didn't appear in any regular season games, but opportunity knocked in the playoffs with Jonathan Bullard having a positive COVID-19 test. Elevated to the roster on the morning of a wild card rematch with the Rams, he stepped up with six tackles in his first NFL action, including a pair of key third down stops in the fourth quarter.

Best Case Scenario: Taking advantage of his athletic skills and building off his stellar debut last January, Lattimore shows improved chops as a pass rusher during the preseason and edges Robert Nkemdiche for a roster spot as a reserve 3-tech behind starter Poona Ford.

Worst Case Scenario: Unable to make a big enough leap forward development-wise, Lattimore isn't able to stand out with limited preseason reps competing against Nkemdiche and undrafted rookie Jarrod Hewitt, who ends up taking his spot on the practice squad. After being released, he waits for another opportunity elsewhere.

What to Expect in 2021: After a surprisingly good debut, coach Pete Carroll sounded enthused about Lattimore's prospects of carving out a role in Seattle's defensive line rotation this year. Benefiting from a more normal NFL offseason and participating in everything from rookie minicamp through OTAs and mandatory minicamp, he should be light years ahead of where he was entering training camp a year ago. Still, Nkemdiche's presence will make it tougher for the ex-Iowa standout to win a roster spot, especially with L.J. Collier and Rasheem Green capable of shifting inside on passing downs. With that said, if he's able to contribute as an interior rusher and plays with more consistency against the run during the preseason, the Seahawks may not want to risk losing him on waivers and could hang onto him as the fourth defensive tackle behind Ford, Bryan Mone, and Al Woods.