Seahawks draft pass-catching RB DeeJay Dallas from Miami, potentially to replace Prosise
Exit C.J. Prosise. Enter DeeJay Dallas.
That appears to be the thinking behind the Seahawks’ second pick of round four in the NFL draft Saturday.
Dallas is a 5-10 running back from Miami who also played wide receiver in college, just as Prosise was a former Notre Dame wide receiver-turned-running back before Seattle drafted him in 2016.
Prosise could never stay healthy enough to hold onto his job as a third-down, pass-catching running back for the Seahawks. He is now gone.
Asked what his impression was from afar of the Seahawks, Dallas said on a Zoom online call from his home in Brunswick, Ga.: “Winners. Competitors. Super Bowl champions.
“Hopefully, I can help them compete to get back to The Big Dance.”
Coach Pete Carroll said at the league’s scouting combine in February restocking running-back depth was a Seahawks priority this offseason.
Dallas says he embraces one particular aspect of playing running back on third downs—one Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson will appreciate.
“Protecting the quarterback,” Dallas said. “Enforcing your will on the guy in front of you.”
The Seahawks’ offense has struggled for years in pass protection. Wilson has been the most-pressured quarterback in the league.
Dallas was asked about a brief spell of fumbling last season at Miami, an issue that had him seeing a sports psychologist. He had an extraordinary reason for that issue: he’d just had a son born.
“I really had a lot of stuff on my mind at that time,” he said.
Indeed, having an infant son while in college tends to minimize the issue of fumbling a football.
Dallas is the second running back from Miami that Seattle has selected in as many drafts. Travis Homer made one start last year as a rookie sixth-round pick. That was after Chris Carson, Rashaad Penny and Prosise got season-ending injuries in December.
Dallas said Homer was the first guy to call him after the Seahawks did on Saturday. He calls Homer “my brother.”
He has also returned kickoffs and punts for Miami.
“Whatever is asked of me. I’ll do whatever,” Dallas said.
This story was originally published April 25, 2020 at 11:31 AM.
