Gwacham was a sixth-round pick out of Oregon State by the Seattle Seahawks in the 2015 NFL Draft who did not survive final cuts. Seattle was likely hoping they could stash Gwacham on the practice squad, but his upside made him too good to pass through waivers where the Saints scooped him up.
The 6-foot-5, 246-pound defensive end was about as raw as they come – not surprising when considering he had played wide receiver for the Beavers in Corvallis until his senior season.
Despite being so inexperienced, Gwacham’s athleticism and explosiveness carried him to 28 tackles, four sacks, and one forced fumble in his senior season – enough production to place him on NFL radars.