Seahawks 90-Man Roster Primer: Penny Hart

One of the most surprising inclusions on Seattle's roster a year ago, Hart turned in a sensational offseason program and has plenty of momentum heading into camp. But with new competition entering the mix at receiver, will he be able to hold onto his roster spot?

Author:
Aryanna Prasad
Publish date:
Jun 24, 2021 9:03 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.

Penny Hart, Receiver

Height/Weight: 5-foot-8, 181 pounds

2020 Stats: One reception for three yards, one rush for 9 yards in 13 games

After being released by Indianapolis and spending most of his 2019 season on Seattle's practice squad, Hart emerged as one of the biggest surprises to make the Seahawks final roster out of camp last September. Despite his smaller stature, the former Georgia State star's contributions on special teams helped him beat out John Ursua for the last spot on the depth chart at receiver. Though his production on offense was limited to one catch and one carry in a blowout win over the Jets in Week 14, he dressed for 13 games in his first NFL action and produced four tackles on kick and punt coverage, continuing to prove himself as a player the coaching staff could count on. Re-signing to a future/reserve deal in January, he will once again compete against a crowded field of receivers aiming to retain his spot on the roster in 2021.

Best Case Scenario: Building off a stellar showing in OTAs and mandatory minicamp, Hart shines as a "gadget" weapon in Shane Waldron's West Coast offense and makes several tackles during the preseason. Using his running and special teams skills to his advantage, he fends of a trio of intriguing undrafted rookie receivers to snag one of the final roster spots.

Worst Case Scenario: With another receiver possessing Hart's unique skill set landing in Seattle in the form of second-round pick D'Wayne Eskridge, he doesn't stand out enough in camp to carve out a role and receives minimal snaps in the preseason. The team cuts him after the final preseason game and opts to sign Cade Johnson or Tamorrion Terry to the practice squad instead.

What to Expect in 2021:

The fact Hart didn't receive many opportunities to impress as a receiver last season coupled with the arrival of Eskridge, Johnson, Terry, and other receivers vying for a roster spot may not bode well for the young wideout's chances of sticking with the team. However, he has arguably the two most important people in the organization in Russell Wilson and Pete Carroll in his corner and certainly helped his cause with a strong offseason program. If he's able to remain productive on special teams and continues to turn heads as a receiver on the practice field, the Seahawks will have a difficult time cutting him. But if he isn't able to take a significant step forward and gets outplayed in exhibition play, there may be a bit too much competition for him to overcome this time around.