Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: DE Jacob Sykes

Already in his second stint with the Seattle Seahawks, after successful stints at Harvard and UCLA in college, Jacob Sykes will rely on his smarts and athleticism with hopes of standing out in a new-look interior defensive line.

With the calendar flipping to June and offseason activities well underway league-wide, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than two months, officially ushering in the 2023 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, I will be detailing every member of 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 2023 campaign.

Jacob Sykes, Defensive End

Height/Weight: 6-3, 282 pounds

2022 Stats*: 29 tackles, one sack, 1.5 tackles for loss

*College stats at UCLA

Taking a unique path to Westwood, Sykes began his college career at Harvard, seeing action in eight games as a true freshman in the Ivy League. He took on a much larger role as a sophomore, finishing with 36 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and a blocked field goal. After not playing in 2020 due to a canceled season amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he broke out as a First-Team All-Ivy League performer in 2021, registering 29 tackles, eight tackles for loss, and a team-best seven sacks.

Catching the attention of the Bruins as a graduate transfer, Sykes made the massive leap from the FCS level to Pac-12 competition, making six starts while playing in all 13 games last season. Though he didn't have the same pass rushing production he did for the Crimson, he received Third-Team All-Pac 12 distinction from Pro Football Focus before signing with the Seahawks as an undrafted free agent.

Best-Case Scenario: Showcasing his excellent athletic tools rotating at the 3-tech defensive end spot behind Dre'Mont Jones and Jarran Reed during training camp and the preseason, Sykes records a sack and multiple pressures during exhibition play, securing himself a spot on Seattle's practice squad for further development.

Worst-Case Scenario: Lacking the size or strength to hold up at the point of attack against NFL guards, Sykes gets pushed around early in training camp and the Seahawks release him before bringing in another defensive lineman to give a look.

What to Expect in 2023: Graduating from Harvard with a degree in Applied Mathematics, Sykes may be able to already stake his claim as the smartest player on Seattle's roster. Coach Pete Carroll and his staff value high IQ players and if his book smarts translate to the field, that will be a valuable asset for him trying to work his way into a rotational role. Possessing excellent athletic traits as well, if he can harness those tools with improved technique and take to coaching, there may be an NFL future awaiting him.

With that said, Sykes will need time to grow into a rotational interior defender physically and technique-wise. Weighing under 285 pounds, adding a bit more muscle to his frame would pay dividends for him, and even with the question marks along Seattle's defensive line, the practice squad seems like the ceiling for him in 2023 with the potential to possibly play for a spot next season with proper development.

Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles

Montrae Braswell | John Hall | Bryant Koback | Cam Bright

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