Seahawks 90-Man Countdown: S Ty Okada - Next UDFA Standout?
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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.
Ty Okada, Safety
Height/Weight: 5-11, 193 pounds
2022 Stats*: 73 tackles, one interception, two fumble recoveries
*College stats at Montana State
Starring as a quarterback at East Ridge High School in Woodbury, MN, Okada transitioned to defense after committing to FCS level Montana State, redshirting in his first season on campus. Though he battled through injuries over the next two seasons, he emerged as the team's primary nickel back, registering 28 tackles and two fumble recoveries. After not playing due to the COVID pandemic in 2020, he finally became a full-time starter, earning Second-Team All-Big Sky honors while racking up 79 tackles and two interceptions.
Finishing his collegiate career with the Bobcats on a strong note, Okada exceeded 70 tackles for the second straight season and posted a team-high nine pass breakups while earning Second-Team All-Big Sky honors again. Following a stellar pro day performance with a 40 1/2-inch vertical jump and 4.47 40-yard dash, the Seahawks signed him as a priority undrafted free agent.
Best-Case Scenario: Flying all over the field making plays while seeing action at both safety spots as well as special teams, Okada emerges as a viable developmental defender and the Seahawks stash him on the practice squad with him eventually suiting up for a pair of regular season games.
Worst-Case Scenario: While possessing intriguing athletic traits, Okada's smaller stature hinders him trying to make tackles in the box as a strong safety and he isn't able to stand out in a crowded safety group before being waived.
What to Expect in 2023: Undrafted free agent safeties have a decent track record of sticking around in Seattle, including Joey Blount snagging a roster spot last season due to his special teams prowess. Armed with elite athletic traits and being a capable tackler on defense and special teams, Okada could potentially be the next in line to make a surprise push to make the initial roster if he's able to earn snaps over other undrafted players such as Jonathan Sutherland.
With that said, this could be a very tough year for a safety to break through with Jamal Adams returning from injury, Julian Love signing in free agency, and Jerrick Reed II arriving as a sixth-round pick for the Seahawks. Unless he's able to jump out on special teams more than Blount and other bubble players, the practice squad likely will be his ceiling and even that may be tough to accomplish given the depth and talent at the position.
Previous Seahawks 90-Man Profiles
Montrae Braswell | John Hall | Bryant Koback | Cam Bright | Jacob Sykes | Benjie Franklin | Tyjon Lindsey | Austin Faoliu | Kendall Randolph
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