Sataoa Laumea is headed to Seattle, and with his NFL opportunity comes a return to his old position.
The former Utah offensive lineman was selected with the third pick of the sixth round (179th overall) by a Seattle Seahawks organization that is entering a new era under head coach Mike Macdonald.
Laumea’s interview at the Senior Bowl stood out to him, and when the Seattle area code showed up on his phone while he was surrounded by friends and family in Fontana, California, on Saturday, it was a “great feeling,” he said.
“It’s a great opportunity. I know a lot about their program. I met them, great people from interviews and stuff. I know they just picked up a really great O-line coach (Scott Huff), so it means a lot to me. It’s an opportunity to prove everyone who didn’t draft me wrong and you guys right,” Laumea said.
The Seahawks are looking to play Laumea at guard, where he played in his first three seasons at Utah before moving to tackle for the final two based on team need.
Pre-draft, Laumea expressed excitement at returning to guard, and the sentiment was the same post-draft.