Why Seahawks' seventh-rounder Deven Eastern provides immediate value

When the Seattle Seahawks selected Deven Eastern in the seventh round of the 2026 NFL Draft, some were surprised by the position and name.

The Seahawks already had Byron Murphy II and Leonard Williams locking down the starting interior defensive line spots with Jarran Reed and Rylie Mills as capable backups, and Brandon Pili as a prototypical nose tackle. Eastern didn’t produce big-time numbers in college and wasn’t ranked highly on consensus boards. Despite the lack of outside attention, the decision makers in that room were well aware of what he brought to the table and ready to invest in him.

According to this report from HawkBlogger, Seahawks defensive line coach Justin Hinds vouched heavily for the team to draft Eastern, who he thought was a great depth piece to add to their unit. While their rotation is stacked, it contains veterans in Williams and Reed whose workload will be managed heavily, especially during the week in practice. He was seen as a necessary practice player to Hinds, who even said “If we don’t draft Eastern, I’m going to play nose myself.”

Eastern might not be an immediate rotator, but he isn’t just a high-floor depth piece and practice player. Danny Collins, his defensive coordinator as Minnesota, said this on the Locked On Seahawks podcast recently:

Eastern brings immediate value as a practice player and a high ceiling for the future. When you have to make interesting choices in the seventh round, the Seahawks bet on tape and traits over past production to get attributes. With John Schneider’s success in the later rounds and Mike Macdonald’s defensive line factory’s high standard, Eastern will be a fun player to follow for the next few years, even before he gets on the field.