Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Jon Rhattigan
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.
Jon Rhattigan, Linebacker
Height/Weight: 6-foot, 236 pounds
2020 stats (at Army): 78 combined tackles, nine tackles for loss, two interceptions, two fumble recoveries, one touchdown, 1.5 sacks in 11 games played
As one might expect from a West Point graduate, Jon Rhattigan needed patience, grit and hard work to crack his way into the starting lineup for the Black Knights. He didn't appear in a single game as a freshman and only suited up for a single game as a sophomore. But it wasn't until his senior year that he cracked the starting 11, and he made the most of his limited opportunities. Rhattigan played 11 games in 2020, racking up 78 tackles, including nine tackles for a loss. That proved good enough to earn him the attention of NFL scouts this spring. Eventually signing with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent following the 2021 NFL Draft, Rhattigan enters a Seattle linebacking corps with minimal depth behind its three projected starters: Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, and Darrell Taylor.
Best Case Scenario: Rhattigan is going to earn a lot of respect from his coaches and teammates, who will easily be able to see his drive and hustle on the field. The Seahawks do currently have a competition at strongside linebacker, but even competing for that job in 2021 seems a bit farfetched. However, if Rhattigan can put forward a good offseason and training camp, he's exactly the type of player who can excel in the pre-season and make the team as a backup/valuable special teamer.
Worst Case Scenario: With only one year as a starter under his belt and questionable athleticism when compared to his peers, Rhattigan will face an uphill battle to make the team. If Cody Barton and Ben Burr-Kervin both play well this fall, Rhattigan could very well see his NFL dreams dry up quickly.
What to expect in 2021: If Rhattigan does make the team in 2021, fans should expect to see him making plays as a valuable member of the Seahawks' coverage team. He has the desire and knowledge to stick around for a while, similar to former Seahawks special teams stud Isaiah Kacyvenski. He's a sure tackler and packs some thump as well. Seattle still seems quite high on Cody Barton despite his struggles to lock down a role in his first two seasons, and all signs point to 2020 second-round pick Taylor as the de facto leader in the clubhouse to be the starting SAM. But Rhattigan will push them this preseason and will likely rack up a ton of tackles in the second half of those games. The most likely scenario for Rhattigan is that he spends the year on the practice squad, a good start for an undrafted rookie free agent.
