The Seahawks’ safety room has turned into an opening, and Maxen Hook is the name forcing his way through it.
Seattle is thin in the secondary, with Nick Emmanwori still sidelined after ankle surgery just before training camp and rookie Bud Clark out after breaking his ankle in preseason Week 2. That kind of turnover has created a real chance for a player who entered the league as an afterthought.
Hook went undrafted out of Toledo in 2025, spent the preseason with the Philadelphia Eagles, and then landed on Seattle’s practice squad. Now he’s making the most of every snap.
He still hasn’t played a regular-season down, but this preseason has put him on the map. Hook hasn’t been targeted in coverage yet, which says something about how tight he’s been in the back end.
Even more noticeable has been what he’s done against the run. In two games, he’s recorded two run stuffs, and he’s done it while playing with a physical edge that doesn’t match his listed 6-foot, 205-pound frame.
Against the Tennessee Titans, he delivered hits on would-be receivers and ball-carriers with the kind of force that makes a defense take notice. He also brings the kind of versatility teams love in the secondary, with the ability to line up in the slot or at deep safety.
The athletic profile is workable, too. At the 2025 NFL Combine, Hook was timed at 4.55 in the 4-yard dash and posted a 34.5-inch vertical leap.
Those numbers don’t scream elite, but they don’t close the door either. What he needed was a chance, and the Seahawks’ injury situation may have handed him one.
His college résumé suggests this isn’t a fluke. Hook was named First-Team All-MAC in each of his final three seasons at Toledo, even though he missed five games in 2024. He was also a team captain in his last two years, which says plenty about how he was viewed inside that program.
That same edge seems to be showing up in Seattle. Hook has played like a guy determined to force his way onto a roster, and the Seahawks clearly notice players who carry that kind of mentality.
He still has work to do before final cuts on August 30, but he’s given himself a real shot. He should see more action in preseason Week 3 against the Kansas City Chiefs, and another strong showing would make it much harder to leave him off the active roster.
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