Seahawks Rookie Roundup: Will six-year defensive lineman be needed NT depth?

The Seattle Seahawks begin training camp on Wednesday, July 23, officially kicking off the second season under head coach Mike Macdonald. Seattle's rookie class — draft pick and undrafted free agent alike — will be among the most closely watched additions to the team during camp.

This season, the Seahawks have 29 total rookies on their 90-man roster. Before camp begins, we will profile each of the team's first-year players and project their chances of making the final 53-man roster in early September. On the older side of rookies at 25 years old, former South Alabama run-stopper Wy'Kevious "Bubba" Thomas will rely on his extensive college career to try and make Seattle's roster.

Path to the NFL

Relatively unknown coming out of Riverdale High School in Riverdale, Georgia, Thomas was just a two-star recruit by 247Sports. Still, he committed to South Alabama over Tennessee State and Tuskegee University as part of the 2019 recruiting class. Thomas saw action as a true freshman in four games and made one tackle.

Following his redshirt-freshman season in 2020, Thomas became a four-year starter with the Jaguars from 2021-24. During that span, he logged 163 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries in 51 career games played.

Thomas, like multiple of Seattle's other rookies, played six total college seasons and just turned 25 in early July. He was projected to be a priority UDFA by NFL.com, and ended up landing with the Seahawks in the first round of signings on May 2.

Sep 16, 2023; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon II (0) is brought down by South Alabama Jaguars linebacker Quentin Wilfawn (10) and South Alabama Jaguars defensive lineman Wy'Kevious Thomas (99) during an NCAA football game between Oklahoma State and South Alabama at Boone Pickens Stadium. | Bryan Terry-Imagn Images

Outlook

At 6-foot-1, 301 pounds (as listed on Seattle's roster), Thomas is decently sized and has played plenty of football. However, most of his college production came in his first two seasons as a starter in 2021 and 2022. Thomas played a similar number of snaps in each campaign, but he was far less disruptive, combining for just 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack in 2023 and 2024. That's a concern as he heads into the pros, as a player at his age should have been entering his prime.

Unless Johnathan Hankins seriously begins showing his age and regresses at 33 years old, he's a shoo-in to be the lead nose tackle. Former sixth-round pick Quinton Bohanna and 2023 undrafted free agent Brandon Pili are likely to be the lead candidates for the backup role, putting Thomas on the bubble immediately.

Thomas's skills are fairly refined, however, and he could provide a different look in the middle of the defensive line than the 6-foot-3, 335-pound Hankins. The nose tackle rotation is by no means solidified, so Thomas absolutely has a chance to stick if he plays well enough in camp and the preseason. It's one of the more competition-friendly positions on the Seahawks' defense before training camp begins.

Previous Seahawks Rookie Roundup profiles

Path to the NFL

Outlook

Previous Seahawks Rookie Roundup profiles

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