Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Connor Wedington

The Seahawks' receiver room is filled with fascinating names. Among them, a former Sumner High School standout has returned to the Pacific Northwest after four years at Stanford and will look to prove his worth on offense and special teams in training camp.

Author:
Colby Patnode
Publish date:
Jun 10, 2021 1:15 PM EDT

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason programs in full swing across the country, 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.

Connor Wedington, Receiver

Height/Weight: 6-foot-1, 195 pounds

2020 Stats (at Stanford): 15 receptions, 157 yards, four kick returns for 95 yards

With all the hype surrounding fellow undrafted signee Cade Johnson, it seems worth noting that it was Wedington, not Johnson nor Tamorrion Terry, who pulled in the largest signing bonus of the Seahawks UDFA class. During his tenure at Stanford, the native Washingtonian was an explosive special teams player who excelled both as a returner and on the coverage team. He wasn't a non-factor in Stanford's passing game either, but he only played four games in 2018 and just three games in 2020. Still, Wedington is a great athlete who shows impressive run-and-catch skills that could fit nicely into the Seahawks' new offense, which figures to feature more crossing routes and screens than previous iterations. He needs to refine his route-running and his injury history is an issue, but expect him to flash in the preseason.

Best Case Scenario: Wedington stays healthy all season and cracks the 53-man roster as both a kick and punt returner, as well as a gunner on kickoff and punt coverage, and makes his mark immediately. His kick return abilities allow the Seahawks special teams unit to take yet another step forward and Wedington even improves as a route runner and contributes in the passing game with limited opportunities.

Worst Case Scenario: Wedington's injury history creeps up with him once again and he misses large portions of training camp and the preseason. Without his usual quickness and explosion, he's unable to move up the depth chart and isn't able to be as impactful on special teams. He's waived with an injury designation and winds up with a redshirt season or is amongst the group of players cut just before Week 1.

What to Expect in 2021: When considering how much the Seahawks paid Wedington to sign with them, that should tell you a lot about what the organization thinks about him. He has a good chance to break away from the rest of the pack thanks to his excellent special teams skills and prior running back background aiding him as a receiver. While he's not going to outduel DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, or Dee Eskridge for playing time, he may still hold a significant edge over Johnson, Terry, or any of the other wideouts vying for the fourth and fifth receiver spots. Wedington can be an absolute game changer in the return game, shine on punt and kick coverage teams, and continue to grow as a receiver while playing an outstanding special teams role. If he's able to play to his potential in camp, he has a solid shot at a spot on the 53-man roster.