A three-year starter at nose tackle for Minnesota, Deven Eastern uses his 6-foot-5 frame and length to disengage from blockers, and Seattle grabbed him in the seventh round of the 2026 draft.
Deven Eastern is a Minnesota native who started 39 straight games in the middle of the Golden Gophers' defensive line before the Seahawks selected him in the seventh round, 242nd overall, in the 2026 NFL Draft. He opened his rookie training camp on the physically unable to perform list with an unspecified injury.
Path to the league
A four-star recruit out of Shakopee, Minnesota, Eastern chose to stay home and play for the Golden Gophers. He redshirted in 2021, then worked his way into the starting lineup, eventually starting all 39 games over his final three college seasons at 6-foot-5 and roughly 320 pounds.
Career highlights
Eastern's breakout came in 2024, when he started all 13 games and posted 27 tackles, five for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble. He earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors in 2025, finishing that season with 38 tackles, five tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble, relying on loose upper-body movement and length to shed blocks.
2025 season recap
In his final college season, Eastern anchored Minnesota's interior defensive line, earning honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition behind that 38-tackle, 2.5-sack output. The Seahawks drafted him that spring in a trade with the New York Jets, and he entered his rookie training camp on the PUP list as he worked back from injury.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Deven Eastern
- Seahawks.com: Deven Eastern NFL Draft profile
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Defensive Tackle
- Group
- defense
- College
- Minnesota
- Hometown
- Shakopee, MN, USA
- Age
- 23
- Status
- active
