Adding Cornerback Depth, Seahawks Claim Saivion Smith Off Waivers

Formerly a starter at Alabama, Smith has bounced around with two NFL teams and also spent a stint in the XFL. Now, he will join a crowded Seattle cornerback room after hitting waivers earlier this week.

With the 2021 NFL Draft now wrapped up and offseason activities approaching, the Seahawks continue to add depth to their secondary.

According to NFL Network's Mike Garafolo, Seattle claimed cornerback Saivion Smith off waivers. The third-year defender was waived by Dallas on Tuesday, mere days after the team used three draft picks on defensive backs.

A five-star recruit who originally enrolled at LSU, Smith transferred to Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College before eventually finding his way back to the SEC with Alabama. In his lone season with the Crimson Tide, he produced 60 tackles, three interceptions, and five passes defensed before declaring early for the NFL.

Despite possessing quality size (6-foot-1, 200 pounds) and length (33 1/4-inch arms), Smith went undrafted in part due to a subpar pro day performance and originally signed with the Jaguars. He didn't make the team out of training camp and eventually was selected by the Houston Roughnecks in the XFL Supplemental Draft. He produced eight tackles in two games and the league eventually suspended play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Weeks after the XFL folded and filed for bankruptcy, the Cowboys signed Smith on April 10. After opening the season on the practice squad, he wound up playing in six games, producing three tackles.

Joining his fourth team in three seasons, Smith joins a suddenly crowded group that has been supplemented by the free agent signings of Ahkello Witherspoon and Pierre Desir along with drafting Oklahoma's Tre Brown in the fourth round. Tre Flowers, D.J. Reed, Damarious Randall, Gavin Heslop, and Jordan Miller will also return, which should lead to quite the competition in training camp.