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Seahawks host former SEC Defensive Player of the Year winner for a tryout
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- Seahawks host former SEC Defensive Player of the Year winner for a tryout
Defense may not be a huge concern in Seattle at the moment, but the team is always looking to improve and bring in talent. The Seattle Seahawks brought in a pass rusher for a tryout this week.
A fourth-round pick of the Los Angeles Chargers in the 2025 NFL draft, Kyle Kennard was hurt in a joint practice with the San Francisco 49ers and subsequently waived from injured reserve by the Bolts on Sept. 4.
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Kennard was the SEC Defensive Player of the Year with the South Carolina Gamecocks in his final season in college, as well as bringing home the Bronko Nagurski Trophy as the top defensive player in the NCAA. The long-limbed EDGE rusher admitted some frustration in not playing as much as he was used to and said that there was "a learning curve" in his rookie season.
When he got to Los Angeles, Kennard played in five games in his rookie season, recording 2 tackles. The Chargers ended up taking a pass rusher in the first round this past spring, in Ahkeem Mesidor.
The Seahawks are tied for the fifth-highest total of sacks as a team so far this year (16), and have a strong rotation, but Connor O'Toole (2 tackles) has been mostly a special teams player, while Jared Ivey was claimed by the Atlanta Falcons . Could Kennard be a developmental piece in the pass rush?
A tryout is just a tryout, but nice to see the team focused on bottom of the roster development.
