Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Will Artie Burns Keep Backup Nickel CB Role?

With OTAs wrapping up across the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in just under two months, officially ushering in the first season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

In preparation for the new incoming season, we’ll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, diving into scheme fits, exploring best- and worst-case scenarios and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2024 campaign.

Entering his third season with Seattle in 2024, will Artie Burns maintain his role in the Seahawks defense despite an injection of young talent?

A four-star recruit out of the football factory at Miami Northwestern Senior High School, Burns stayed local for college and signed with Miami, which was only about 12 miles away from where he played prep ball. Playing three seasons with the Hurricanes, Burns broke out in 2015 when he started all 13 games and piled up 36 total tackles, six interceptions, and five passes defensed. After earning All-ACC honors, he was drafted 25th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft by the Steelers and was solid in his first two seasons, starting 25 games and posting 119 total tackles, four interceptions, 26 passes defensed and four tackles for loss. In 2018, Burns started just six games with no interceptions and Pittsburgh did not pick up his fifth-year option, allowing him to sign with the Bears ahead of the 2020 campaign. He suffered a torn ACL in the preseason and missed the season before returning to play in 11 games in 2021. Burns signed with Seattle in March 2022 and has regularly moved between the practice squad and active roster since while also missing time due to groin and hamstring injuries.

Throughout his eight years in the NFL, Burns has been a serviceable outside and slot corner at 6-0, 187 pounds, adding nickel to his repertoire in 2023. Last season, in Pete Carroll’s defense, Burns played 232 defensive snaps with 87 percent of those coming as the nickel corner, per Pro Football Focus. He was also a regular contributor on punt and kick coverage. Burns is a willing run stopper from the slot corner position and has good speed and quickness to keep up with the dynamic receivers he is often matched up against.

Outplaying rookie sixth-round pick DJ James and third-year defensive back Coby Bryant in training camp and the preseason, Burns maintains his backup slot corner role into the regular season and sees a similar number of snaps to last season behind Devon Witherspoon on the depth chart while continuing to contribute on special teams.

With ample younger prospects now on Seattle’s roster, Burns, 29, shows the least upside and has his role filled by a combination of James and Bryant. Since Bryant can also play safety in the Seahawks defense, Burns is cut at the end of the preseason and brought back on the practice squad as an emergency veteran option.

Burns’ extensive NFL experience gives him an edge over Bryant and James from a reliability standpoint, but his age could be a deterrent to a new coaching staff that may want to get its younger players game snaps early on. It’s also possible that Bryant’s versatile status in the defense has him competing mostly for a role at safety, which would leave the backup nickel role to a two-man race between Burns and James — both of whom would be quality options to be on the field at the same time in a dime package.

When it comes down to it, Burns, Bryant, and James are all likely to stick around with the Seahawks as slot corner and special teams coverage options, with one or two making the active roster. If Bryant’s role becomes more defined, that situation will be more clear. Unless Burns is outplayed by other young corners further out on the roster bubble, he should at least have a practice squad spot reserved. Regardless, it will be a fun competition to watch as Burns tries to play a third season with one team for the second time in his career.

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