Inside Seahawks’ rookie minicamp: How Seattle trumped Rams for Byron Murphy II and Mike Macdonald’s plans for Madubuike-lite

With the draft over, there’s a lull in the NFL calendar as fans eagerly await the release of the schedule for the upcoming season. Yet there is still activity, as minicamps are taking place around the league.

Rookies, some drafted and others signed as free agents after the draft, begin their odyssey in the hopes of playing Sunday football for a living. Today, we visit the Seattle Seahawks rookie minicamp to get the latest.

In the weeks leading up to the draft, I reported several times that the Seahawks were targeting Byron Murphy II with the 16th pick of Round 1. Yet as we got closer to the official start of Round 1, it looked as though Murphy would not make it to the Seahawks’ pick and the team would try to trade down.

Neither actually happened, but Seattle had offers to move the pick. Sources tell me that two teams, the Los Angeles Rams and Philadelphia Eagles, attempted to move up and acquire Seattle’s selection. The Rams wanted Murphy. The Eagles were concerned they would lose out on cornerback Quinyon Mitchell.

Eventually, the Eagles got their man while the Rams lost out on Murphy to the Seahawks.

Seattle envisions using Murphy, who signed his rookie deal during the first day of minicamp, in a similar manner to the way the Baltimore Ravens employ Justin Madubuike, the 2020 third-round pick who signed a four-year extension at the beginning of March.

Although slightly shorter than Madubuike, Murphy has a similar playing style and is equally explosive as the Ravens top interior defensive lineman.

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Seattle Seahawks’ rookie minicamp: Michael Jerrell and Carlton Johnson manage to leave their mark

One rookie who was fairly impressive during minicamp was sixth-round pick Michael Jerrell, the offensive lineman from Findlay.

The athletic Jerrell moved well and displayed excellent technique. Jerrell took part in the Ohio State pro day, and I mentioned on March 20 that he looked better than any of the Buckeyes offensive linemen. Findlay’s starting left tackle for three years, Jerrell is expected to compete for a spot as a backup who can line up at either tackle position.

After Garret Greenfield went undrafted, more than two dozen teams were knocking on his door in the hopes of signing him as a UDFA, but eventually the Seahawks won out.

Sources tell me that the team views him as a utility blocker who can be used at left or right tackle and even inside at guard. The expectations are that Greenfield will likely redshirt this season and end up on the practice squad as he continues to develop his game.

Carlton Johnson at a NCAA Football: Nevada at Fresno State game in 2023

It was a surprise when cornerback Carlton Johnson was not selected at any point in the late rounds, and eventually Seattle scooped him up when the draft was over in what could be one of the better UDFA signings in the league. You may remember that Johnson lit it up at pro day, timing 4.28 seconds in the 40.

He measures five-foot-10.5 yet is a bit thin at 175 pounds. But the belief within the organization is that Johnson has a clear shot to make the active roster this fall, as his speed, instincts and football smarts give him an upper hand. Unlike many of the rookies, I’m told that Johnson had no mental lapses during minicamp.