Stock Watch: Examining Seahawks Post-Draft Winners, Losers
Now more than a week removed from the 2026 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks have gotten a first look at their newest draft class via rookie minicamp, and the offseason program will soon kick into full overdrive with Phase 2 opening next week.
At this point, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider haven’t gotten to see first-round pick Jadarian Price and the rest of the 2026 class on the field with returning veterans from their Super Bowl LX-winning squad. But that will soon change as on-field workouts ramp up to the next step and Organized Team Activities (OTAs) eventually open on May 26, providing the rookies with a chance to start gunning for starting jobs and roster spots.
With rookies soon to be thrown into the fire battling against seasoned veterans, which returning players and coaches stood out as the biggest winners coming out of the NFL Draft for the Seahawks? And who needs to keep a focused eye on their rearview mirror with objects being closer than they appear?
Highs, Lows, and Other Notes from Mariners’ Three Losses to Royals
If there is to be a moment when the 2026 Seattle Mariners finally put early woes behind them, it will not be for quite some time. The team got swept for the third time in the season, this go around by a Kansas City Royals team that had been 12-19 with a -22 run differential. The first two games were thin margins, winnable for the Mariners, but they weren’t at all able to salvage the third game as hitting and defense broke down once more, a Groundhog Day-like occurrence even as April has turned to May and numbers are piling up in the wins and losses column.
As befits a set of bad losses, the M’s went right up to the edge of victory multiple times, but ultimately let it slip through their fingers. Let’s go over the highs and lows of the series, from mistakes that would be bad in grade school T-ball to a pitching performance worthy of Randy Johnson.
Very High: Emerson Hancock struck out 14 in a seven-inning masterpiece on the night the M’s retired the Big Unit’s number.
Things in this sport can change on a dime, but for now, Emerson Hancock has vanquished all doubts of him being an MLB-worthy starter. He precisely used his four-seamer, sweeper, cutter, and even sinker to fold one Royals hitter after another like his opponents were cheap lawn chairs. By the time he exited the stage at the end of the seventh, 103 pitches to his name and his team nursing a one-run lead, a near-sellout crowd in T-Mobile Park gave him the a roaring ovation.
Pipeline of NBA Talent Continues to Drive Gonzaga's Impressive Recruiting
Ever since the NIL (name, image, and likeness) policy was enacted in the NCAA on July 1, 2021, timelines for college basketball players have noticeably shifted. Needing at least a year gap between their final year of high school and when they can begin their NBA careers, athletes traditionally tried to fast-track their way to the most competitive league in the world, seeing little benefit to the collegiate hoops experience.
Now with NIL, these young adults are making life-changing money while enrolled in university classes, allowing them to better pace their development to ensure they are properly prepared when their names called on NBA Draft night. In some cases, players are maximizing their opportunities to be paid as they stretch out their years of eligibility to the max. But for those who have the potential, they are seeking the programs that can best hone their skills to carve out lengthy NBA careers, while being paid handsomely.
Despite not being a blue blood or in a power conference, the Gonzaga Bulldogs have still found ways to acquire and develop top-tier talent in this era. The proof is in their current roster, recent graduates from the program, and young prospects still down the pipeline. Head coach Mark Few and his staff have a track record of getting players ready for the leap to the pros, and with that, it will be tough to slow the lengthy run the Zags are on.
Seawolves Bounce Back Against Free Jacks, Become All-Time Winningest MLR Team
Sometimes, as it turns out, the fifth time is the charm. While the Seawolves had gotten a grand total of six points over their first four games, a Coffee Cup match against the Free Jacks in New England. But despite being down 11-5 at half, Seattle roared back for 22 unanswered points in the final 40 minutes to take a 27-11 victory and get back into the playoff hunt. And with the 73rd win in franchise history, they officially passed the San Diego Legion with the most in the history of the MLR.
While the Seawolves went into Quincy, Massachusetts off a brutal defeat to the MLR-leading Chicago Hounds, the need for a bounce back game was shared by a set of opponents who also entered the match in a rough rut of early form. Both teams were 1-3 over their first four games. Though New England had a worse -52 point differential as opposed to Seattle’s -36, the Free Jacks had managed one extra bonus point, though both sides sat in the cellar.
Seattle had to mix and match their lineup going into the game, with flyhalf Davy Coetzer out of commission, loosehead prop Ezekiel Lindenmuth suspended following a red card against the Hounds, and injuries in the forwards meant that plenty of the pack would have to go deep into the game while André Warner took up the flyhalf duties on the field and Divan Rossouw took the conversions.
Storm Waive No. 14 Pick Taina Mair
The Seattle Storm have waived rookie No. 14 overall pick Taina Mair, per the WNBA transaction wire. Mair is the first 2026 draft pick that the Storm has waived.
Waiving Mair brings the Storm down to 15 players, which still puts them three away from reaching the final 12-player roster limit. The deadline for cutting to 12 players is on Thursday, May 7, before the team’s season opener the next day.
Mair is somewhat of a surprising cut, though it’s still possible the Storm are planning to try and bring her back in a developmental roster spot. Seattle will have to wait and see if Mair clears waivers before they can try and re-sign her.
Sounders Draw with Struggling Kansas City Despite Wealth of Chances
The Seattle Sounders went into their Saturday matchup with Sporting Kansas City in great form.
Seattle was 6-1-1, in the thick of the Supporters Shield race, going to play the bottom-ranked team in the Western Conference, fresh off six straight losses at 1-7-1.
After Paul Rothrock scored his team-leading sixth goal in all competitions just two minutes in, it looked like the Sounders were about to repeat the 5-0 drubbing the Chicago Fire had subjected Kansas City to the week before.
But 16 minutes later, USMNT hopeful and Sounders legend Cristian Roldan made a lackadaisical pass deep in Seattle territory to let KC striker Dejan Joveljic strike a first-time shot past Andrew Thomas for what was the final goal of the game.
Yes. Seattle had scored just two minutes into the game on a fortuitous bounce forced by Jesús Ferreira to find a waiting Paul Rothrock in close, only to be held scoreless for the remainder despite 26 shots and three expected goals generated.
Ranking Seahawks Draft Picks By Readiness to Contribute Early in 2026
With the Seattle Seahawks selecting eight players in the 2026 NFL Draft, not all of them will be ready to make an immediate impact. Patience will be required for a few prospects at least. Some might impress in training camp and earn early playing time on special teams, rather than their traditional offensive or defensive positions.
Let’s rank the eight draft picks of the Seahawks’ 2026 class by their readiness to make an early impact during the 2026 season.
8. Michael Dansby, CB, Arizona
First off, the defensive back group is now absolutely stacked with three cornerbacks being selected out of eight picks. Breaking through will be extremely difficult for Dansby as the last pick of Seattle’s draft, late in the seventh round. He is a man-coverage specialist but not as physically gifted as Julian Neal or Andre Fuller. He likely will need to fight for a special teams role, but in all likelihood, he’s headed to the practice squad in the fall.
Takeaways From Day 2 of Seahawks’ 2026 Rookie Minicamp
Wrapping up Phase 1 of their offseason program, the Seattle Seahawks conducted the second of two rookie minicamp sessions at the VMAC on Saturday, providing another opportunity for Mike Macdonald and the coaching staff to take a close look at their new incoming draft class, signed undrafted free agents, and a host of tryout players.
As is always the case this time of year with more than half of the participants not being under contract and trying to earn a contract with an NFL team, the vast majority of those who wore helmets over the past two days won’t be back with the Seahawks. But as Macdonald pointed out moments after the practice wrapped up, that doesn’t always mark the end of the journey either, as those who put their best foot forward could be on speed dial when injuries and/or personnel changes on the 90-man roster strike in coming weeks and months.
“Definitely. Everyone's on a different timeline,” Macdonald remarked. “I think they understand that, and that's part of the messaging too. We've had several guys that have come back in camp or even after camp or after the season. We've had a couple of examples of that too. Jalan Gaines is a guy that comes to mind that's with us now after not being with us at the end of the season. Just keep plugging away, trying your best. Don't worry about the count or timing or all that, but trust the process.”
Mariners Suffer Second Straight Bryan Woo Beating, Drop Randy Johnson Series Opener to Royals
The Mariners and Royals spent most of Friday evening locked in a back-and-forth batter’s duel, with the Royals eventually coming out in front. In all the action of the game - from the Royals knocking four first inning runs off Bryan Woo to Julio Rodríguez’ two homers to a late Kansas City rally off Jose A. Ferrer to Alex Hoppe blowing down the Royals’ best hitters in the ninth only for the Mariners to go down with a whimper in the bottom half by a 7-6 score - there were a lot of moments that made the difference.
But among those, there is one that is perhaps most instructive in two concepts: one, that baseball is a game of inches where defense matters (you already knew that), and two, that a run in the first is worth as much as a run in the ninth. This isn’t about ABS, but based on how ABS strategy is often discussed, a reminder is perhaps in order.
Bryan Woo’s two bad bookends fell in two separate but similar buckets.
Woo came into his start against the Cardinals as a potential clear Mariners ace. He left the sixth inning of his start against the Royals having given up 13 runs in his last nine innings and carrying a 4.61 ERA.
The story of how he got rocked for seven runs in three innings against the Redbirds has already been told, though that game was not defined by the bad start thanks to a big-time offensive showing. The M’s got four homers to power six runs at home, but it wasn’t enough this time.
Defense Rules Huskies ‘Dawgs After Dark’ Spring Game
It was a beautiful night for some football, even if the football itself wasn’t always a potential pageant winner.
That’s the nature of spring football when a team is expected to have a good defense, as the Washington Huskies plan to roll out when the season begins against Washington State in the Apple Cup on Sept. 5.
With Corgi races, head coach Jedd Fisch playing emcee at times, a few guest kickers and some big plays on defense and offense, Purple got the better of Gold in Friday’s “Dawgs After Dark” spring game, 27-10 at Husky Stadium.
Most importantly, there was some actual football in Friday’s culmination of five weeks of spring football, and no apparent injuries.
Reign Bounce Back with Rainy Road Draw in Houston
The Seattle Reign followed their worst loss of the season (by goal totals, at least) last Sunday with a 0-0 draw to the Houston Dash on Friday night.
The result moved Seattle (fifth in NWSL) to 3-2-2 and marked the Reign's third straight game without a goal, despite 1.4 expected goals on 16 shots.
The Reign were without the services of veteran Jess Fishlock, set to miss an extended period of time after a scary ankle injury in that 3-0 loss to Utah on Sunday. They also had a flu bug run through the team throughout the week, as Nerilia "Coco" Mondesir had to sub on late as she was sick during the abbreviated week — Seattle held its only practice on Thursday in Houston.
Despite it all, striker Mia Fishel had an up-and-down game while young wingers Maddie Dahlien and Emeri Adames powered the offense for much of the night.
Spurring the clean sheet on was star keeper Claudia Dickey, who made five key saves, while facing multiple dangerous set pieces and five Houston corners.
Randy Johnson’s Legacy with Mariners is Indelible
The Mariners are set to retire Randy Johnson’s No. 51 this weekend during their series against the Kansas City Royals. The festivities kick off with “Randy Johnson ‘80s Jersey Night” on Friday. The ceremony will be held before Saturday’s game.
It’s not very often that a franchise has two of its icons wear the same number. Ichiro Suzuki also wore No. 51 for Seattle, which was retired on August 9, 2025, after he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
“The Big Unit,” Randy Johnson, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015. Now, 11 years later, he gets the ultimate honor from the Seattle Mariners of having his number retired. He was also inducted into the Mariners’ franchise Hall of Fame in 2012.
Takeaways From Day 1 of Seahawks’ 2026 Rookie Minicamp
Launching their NFL careers by taking the practice field for the first time, the Seattle Seahawks’ latest 2026 draft class kicked off the next phase of the team’s offseason program with the first of two rookie minicamp sessions at the VMAC on Friday.
What stood out from the first practice for the Class of 2026? Here’s a few notes from the facility as rookies begin to get acclimated to their new surroundings:
Speed, quicks, and sculpted arms on early display for first round pick Jadarian Price.
Until the pads come on several months down the road, fans will have to wait to truly see what juice Price brings to the Seahawks’ backfield as the heir apparent for Ken Walker III. But as far as first impressions go in a non-contact OTA-like May practice, he looked the part of a first round pick amongst his peers.
It’s Time to Take Mariners’ Cole Young Seriously Among MLB’s Best Young Second Basemen
There were a lot of different paths the Seattle Mariners could have taken this offseason when it came to second base.
Jorge Polanco hit .329 with a 1.015 in the final five weeks of the season last year, splitting time between second base and designated hitter, but that path closed when the New York Mets signed him to a two-year, $40 million contract this winter, ending his tenure in Seattle. Luis Arraez was also a popular free agent who could play second base, while buzz surrounded a potential blockbuster trade for Ketel Marte. The Mariners decided to not pursue external candidates for second base. When they traded for Brandon Donovan, it was for him to play third.
This partially paved the way for the Mariners to give Cole Young a long runway as one of the franchise’s staple infielders.
Apparently, all Young needed was more time to settle into his Mariners uniform. Because now, he looks like one of the best young middle infielders in Major League Baseball.
Gonzaga Baseball Sets 14-Game Winning Streak Before Falling to No. 13 Oregon
Like all good things, Gonzaga baseball’s (27-15, 15-3 WCC) miraculous stretch finally came to an end. Going nearly a month without a loss and coming off another weekend sweep – this time at home over LMU – the Zags’ 14-game winning streak was snapped by No. 13 Oregon (33-11, 15-6 Big Ten) on Tuesday in Eugene.
For solace, the Bulldogs weren’t outclassed against their second ranked opponent of the season, falling 4-3 in a tense contest where, after the opening frame, runs came at a premium. They were able to compete on the road and nearly extend their historic run, and clearly have firm stakes planted with 10 games remaining in the regular season.
So how did the longest winning streak in GU history conclude, and what is the outlook going forward?
Coming Up Just Short Against the Ducks
The contest got off to a ruckus start, as Ricky Sanchez smashed a leadoff triple past the diving centerfielder and then scored on a wild pitch two pitches later to put Gonzaga up early. The sequence seemingly set the tone that the Zags were going to control the pace.
Projecting Storm Final Roster After First Cuts
The Seattle Storm made their first round of roster cuts on Thursday, waiving forward Beatrice Mompremier and guards Jalyn Brown and Elle Ladine, the team announced.
Seattle’s cuts bring their current roster down to 16 players, meaning the team only has to let go of two other players before the regular season begins. Under the new CBA, teams are required to keep 12 players on their active roster and now have access to two developmental roster spots.
Storm’s Young Stars Shine in Decisive Preseason Victory vs. Fire
The Storm’s young guards led the charge in a 91-81 victory over the Portland Fire in the first matchup between the two franchises since 2002 on Wednesday, April 29, at Climate Pledge Arena.
For the new Portland franchise, the Storm had the privilege of hosting their first-ever game — even if it was just an exhibition matchup. And after taking one of their players (Nika Muhl) in the expansion draft, the Storm spoiled the Fire’s debut after April’s expansion draft, free agency and the rookie draft.
The preseason means next to nothing in terms of how successful the Storm will be. But the individual performances do tell us what could be on the horizon for some of the team’s young players, which is especially important this season.
Young Slugs RBI Double, Slaps Two-Run Single in Mariners’ Comeback Win over Twins
A .500 batting average and a .500 on-base percentage. 16 total bases in 22 at-bats. A 1.227 OPS. One home run, two doubles, and eight RBIs.
Those were Cole Young’s hitting stats over the Mariners’ 5-1 road trip to get back to .500 baseball by the end of April. Three of those RBIs came in the Mariners’ 5-3 win in their rubber match against the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday and two were as timely as could be with the M’s down one in the top of the ninth.
What goes up must go down, but the second baseman’s offensive breakout has been the Mariners’ best friend more than once in the young season on plenty of different-color diamonds.
George Kirby kept the Twins to two runs despite a big fourth inning opportunity.
Just like Logan Gilbert on Tuesday, George Kirby didn’t get the defense behind him that he wanted, with uneasy outfield play extending a fourth inning that saw the Twins put a pair of runs on the board and ballooned his pitch count enough to end up nixing the quality start and adding some workload for the Mariners bullpen.
Fishlock Likely to Return After Negative X-Rays, Reign Look to Bounce Back
It was a moment no Seattle Reign fan wanted to see.
Mere days after the announcement of her retirement at the end of the 2026 season, star midfielder Jess Fishlock came down badly on her left ankle in Sunday's 3-0 loss to the Utah Royals to drop Seattle to 3-2-1 (10 points, fourth in NWSL).
Fishlock immediately signaled to the sideline for help and shouted in pain, only for the medical staff to place an aircast on her ankle. As she left the pitch on a stretcher with her face buried in her hands, fans and coaches alike couldn't help but think they had just watched the final minutes of the 39-year-old Welsh legend's career.
Fishlock was taken to a nearby hospital for an X-ray, with her football future hanging in the balance.
It came back negative, and that was enough for head coach Laura Harvey to start planning for Seattle's most consistent offensive force to return.
Gonzaga Bulldogs Land ASU Transfer Massamba Diop, Bolstering Talented Frontcourt
Bringing in a big fish from the transfer portal, the Gonzaga Bulldogs can cross a big item off their offseason checklist. 7-1 Senegalese center Massamba Diop is on his way to Spokane from Arizona State, picking to play for the Zags over St. John’s for his sophomore season. Diop’s commitment makes the second for GU so far this offseason, joining Houston transfer Isiah Harwell as the newest Zags on the block.
During his first year at the collegiate level, Diop averaged 13.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks a game on 56.9% shooting in 33 starts with the Sun Devils. He was one of the top centers available in this cycle of the transfer portal and – like several of his new teammates – carries notable NBA Draft stock.
The move aligns Diop with the returning Braden Huff to form yet another strong big man duo for the Bulldogs, a season after Huff and third-team All-American Graham Ike were paired up together. Not to mention that the team’s likely starting small forward, 6-7 Davis Fogle, was also retained, giving Gonzaga one of the country’s most talented frontcourts heading into the fall.
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