Seahawks Work Out Former Lions Starting Safety

This isn’t quite roster news for the Seattle Seahawks, but it is a visit worth monitoring.

NFL insider Mike Garafolo reported on Monday that the Seahawks worked out former Detroit Lions third-round pick Ifeatu Melifonwu. He was most recently with the Miami Dolphins and started about half the season.

If the name sounds familiar, it’s because his brother Obi Melifonwu was a highly touted, physically impressive (6’4 ad 225 lbs), very athletic prospect coming out of UConn back in 2017. While he was frequently linked as a possible Seahawks draft target, he was ultimately drafted by the Oakland Raiders and bounced around the league.

Ifeatu Melifonwu was taken in the third round by the Detroit Lions in the 2021 draft. Injuries led to very limited playing time and over 20 games missed in his first and last season (2024) in Detroit. In his only fully healthy season, Melifonwu made six starts at safety, recording three sacks, eight passes defensed, and the first two interceptions of his career. His biggest highlight was this NFC North winning interception against the Minnesota Vikings, clinching Detroit’s first division title in three decades.

In his lone season in Miami, Melifonwu recorded a career high 53 tackles and a big end zone interception off of Josh Allen.

At 6’3 and 210 pounds, Melifonwu is the prototypical bigger defensive back that has transcended from the Pete Carroll era to the Mike Macdonald era, but is ultimately all-encompassing under John Schneider. He’s played as a box safety and a free safety, in addition to experience as a cornerback.

As Garofalo noted, while a signing isn’t imminent, Melifonwu could be one to monitor in the weeks and months to come. Seahawks mandatory minicamp is underway, so any thought of bringing him on board could be with an eye toward training camp in late July.