Ole Miss pass rusher named UDFA with best chance to make Seahawks roster

In the NFL, signing undrafted free agents is basically like finding a needle in a haystack. Every team will sign around 20 undrafted free agents each year, but only a couple at most end up making the roster, and it's fairly common for none of them to make it.

There's a diamond in the rough every once in a while, however, and the Seattle Seahawks may just have one this year.

Former Ole Miss pass rusher Jared Ivey was arguably the most surprising player to go undrafted this season. The Suwanee, Ga., native earned third-team All-SEC honors last season after recording 10.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks, and seemingly only improved as his collegiate career went on.

Jared Ivey can make Seahawks roster, but there's a catch

Bleacher Report's Brent Sobleski unsurprisingly named Ivey as the undrafted free agent with the best chance to make the Seahawks' roster out of training camp, noting how he "has the size and length to play up and down the line of scrimmage, either as a base end or reducing along the interior if needed."

Ole Miss Rebels defensive lineman Jared Ivey — Sep 28, 2024; Oxford, Mississippi, USA; Mississippi Rebels defensive linemen Jared Ivey (15) rushes during the second half against the Kentucky Wildcats at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

"Overall, Ivey can at least be a good two-down player who is a starter during his rookie contract, especially as an even front defensive end," B/R scout Matt Holder wrote. "How much he'll be able to contribute as a pass-rusher is questionable, but a team that already has a good pass-rush specialist on the edge and is willing to work with him on the interior should be intrigued by Ivey's game."

However, it's worth noting the reason that Ivey fell. His athleticism leaves a lot to be desired, with NFL.com's Lance Zierlein listing "high-cut, lacking proportional thickness in his limbs" and "anchor and contact balance don’t match the listed measurables" among his weaknesses before the draft. How much that will impact him in an actual game remains to be seen, but it's worth noting regardless.

Like all undrafted free agents, Ivey faces an uphill battle to make the roster. If he can prove himself in training camp and in the preseason, he can definitely make it.

Jared Ivey can make Seahawks roster, but there's a catch

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