Final Mock Draft: Seahawks Plug Immediate Holes, Keep Eyes on Future With Added Picks

Memphis' Marcello Bussey (6) has the ball pulled out of his hands by Arkansas' Julian Neal (23) during the game between Memphis and Arkansas at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium in Memphis, Tenn., on September 20, 2025.

After months of preparation for everyone from scouts to coaches to executives, the 2026 NFL Draft will finally kick off in Pittsburgh on Thursday, April 23, ushering in the latest crop of college talent jumping to the pros.

Still basking in the glow of a Super Bowl LX championship, general manager John Schneider, coach Mike Macdonald, and the Seattle Seahawks will roll into the annual event lacking much firepower to work with, as the team currently holds only four selections after trading away a fourth and fifth round pick for receiver Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline last October. That’s quite the departure from the past three drafts where they built a championship foundation with 29 total picks, including 11 last spring.

Down to the final couple days before the first round kicks off with the Raiders on the clock, Schneider and company undoubtedly have already been working the phones looking for potential suitors to trade up for the 32nd overall pick to recoup a selection or two, planning ahead with hopes the dominos fall right to be able to slide down.

How will Seattle’s 17th draft under Schneider’s watch unfold? And how many picks will the Seahawks ultimately make on the heels of capturing the Lombardi Trophy two months ago? In my final seven-round mock draft projection, I have the reigning Executive of the Year orchestrating not one, but two trades to push their haul up to six total selections.

Trade 1: Seahawks send picks No. 32, No. 96, and a 2027 fifth rounder to the Browns for picks No. 39, No. 70, and No. 146

Trade 2: Seahawks send pick No. 70 to Packers for picks No. 84, No. 120

With those two deals providing Schneider a bit more ammunition at his disposal, here’s a look at my final stab predicting who the Seahawks will add to their roster on draft weekend as they prepare to defend their Super Bowl title:

Round 2, Pick 39 - Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame

*Acquired from Browns in exchange for No. 32, No. 96, and a 2027 fifth round pick

Drafting a running back in the first round has become a bit taboo with the NFL leaning more on the passing game over the past two decades and the position being devalued as a result, but recent Super Bowl wins by the Seahawks and Eagles point to the running game coming back into vogue. Saquon Barkley starred in Philadelphia’s title run, earning Offensive Player of the Year honors, while Ken Walker III became the first back in more than 20 years to win Super Bowl MVP honors as Seattle hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in February, showcasing the importance of having an electric playmaking back who can shoulder the load in January.

With Walker now in Kansas City after bolting in free agency and Zach Charbonnet likely out until at least October recovering from a torn ACL, regardless of Schneider and Macdonald’s past comments stating otherwise, the Seahawks have a clear and obvious need to add a game-changing talent to their backfield. In the shadows of expected top-five pick Jeremiyah Love, the 210-pound Price racked up 674 yards and 11 touchdowns while averaging six yards per carry, producing an incredible 10 or more yards on an astonishing 21% of his carries, and posting a 45% breakaway run rate that ranked among the nation’s best. Add in his 18 yards per reception on limited pass catching opportunities and two kick returns for touchdowns on special teams and he would be a fantastic successor to bring on board as Seattle’s new three down bell cow that offers more than enough flash and sizzle to be worthy of the team’s first selection.

Considering his immense talent and the team’s obvious need, Price could absolutely be in play at No. 32 overall without a trade down. Ideally, Schneider will be able to add the dynamic home run hitting back after trading down to recoup an additional selection. Trading down would be risky, as a few other teams in the early portion of the second round could be in the market for a back, but sliding down just seven spots in this instance should keep plenty of talented options on the table, whether the speedy runner remains available or not.

Round 2, Pick 64 - R Mason Thomas, EDGE, Oklahoma

Historically speaking, Macdonald has had a clear archetype when it comes to EDGE defenders, rarely employing players under 250 pounds at the position. Recently departed free agent Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, and former Ravens starter Odafe Oweh stand out as a select few that hovered in the 250-255 pound range and excelled in his system, but with safety Nick Emmanwori as an exception last season while not truly being an EDGE, he’s never had a player under 250 pounds log 100 or more snaps as an outside linebacker or defensive end in four total seasons as a defensive coordinator or head coach.

With that said, while history would suggest Macdonald won’t be begging Schneider to select an undersized pass rusher and more prototypical prospects can be had, the Seahawks desire more quick wins from their pass rush getting to quarterbacks in 2026 and without Mafe on the roster, that need becomes an even more pressing one that could lead to an audible from the aforementioned archetype. Enter in Thomas, who barely tips 240 pounds on the scales and has sawed-off sub-32-inch arms, which creates built-in disadvantages setting the edge versus the run. But even with those concerns, he has a motor that runs non-stop and he flies off the line of scrimmage like a bat out of hell with an underrated ability to transition speed into power against blockers, bringing a different dimension to Seattle’s pass rush. He also has enough athletic fluidity to drop back in coverage on zone blitzes, adding to Macdonald’s arsenal as a playcaller when he mixes in Emmanwori, Drake Thomas, or Devon Witherspoon as blitzing weapons from the second level.

Over the years, the Seahawks have had plenty of success when they have drafted talented outliers - or tweeners - and an argument can be made that with the talent already along the defensive line, adding a speed merchant to complement the likes of Hall, Uchenna Nwosu, and Demarcus Lawrence could maximize the unit’s production. At the tail end of the second round, his quarterback hunting chops are well worth the selection.

Round 3, Pick 84 - Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas**

**Acquired from Packers in exchange for No. 70

Thanks to the Witherspoon selection at fifth overall back in 2023, the Seahawks no longer have the distinction of never drafting a cornerback earlier than the third round under Schneider’s leadership. However, that pick should be viewed as nothing more than a massive exception to the rule with Seattle holding a top-five pick for the first time since 2009 and having a rare opportunity to select a blue chip All-American talent they normally wouldn’t be positioned to nab.

Away from that pick, all 15 of Seattle’s other selections on cornerbacks during Schneider’s tenure have came in the third round or later, including Nehemiah Pritchett most recently in the fifth round in 2024. After passing up on more heralded corner options in favor of drafting Price and opting to address their EDGE position with two second round selections, the Seahawks go back to their normal mode of operation, taking a shot on a rising prospect with intriguing traits in Neal. Turning into a viable NFL prospect at Arkansas after starting his career at Fresno State, Neal has elite size (6-2, 203) and consistently played the run well in college, checking off a key box for Macdonald at the position. He can be a bit rigid coming in and out of his breaks matching up in man against receivers as a high-hipped, lanky defensive back, but further development as a press coverage merchant could help neutralize that issue in time and he has enough burst to recover when beaten in coverage.

Neal could be a year away from being ready for more than situational sub-package reps, but the Seahawks can afford to allow him proper time to progress with Witherspoon, Josh Jobe, and Pritchett on the roster ready to roll. His size, speed, and ascending trajectory project well as a future starter in time, making him worth the dice roll at the end of Day 3.

Round 4, Pick 120 - Beau Stephens, G, Iowa**

**Acquired from Packers in exchange for No. 70

For years, the Seahawks have been backed into a corner where they seemingly had multiple offensive line positions at the top of their draft needs due to consistently poor performance in the trenches. However, times have changed for the better - much better - with the team happily welcoming back all five starters from last year’s Super Bowl squad, including tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas with new multi-year contracts and sophomore standout guard Grey Zabel poised to become one of the league’s best at his position.

But Seattle does have a decision to make in the near future at right guard, where Anthony Bradford has been the starter for the past three seasons with highly inconsistent play up until a stellar second half last season. It’s unlikely the team will consider drafting his replacement in the early rounds, but Stephens would offer a polished alternative with All-American pedigree still on the board early in Day 3. A technician when it comes to working angles in the zone blocking game, he excels getting to his target and winning the position battle. In pass protection, he uses his hands well in conjunction with his footwork to keep defenders from getting past him, though his lack of length could create more problems for him against NFL defensive tackles attacking his frame and edges. He didn’t test as well as expected at the combine, but on film, he has more than functional enough movement skills coupled with his fundamentals for his zone blocking prowess to translate to the pros.

With Bradford still under contract for another season, the Seahawks will continue to evaluate the former fourth round pick to see if he warrants an extension to keep the entire band together long-term. But bringing a quality rookie such as Stephens in to compete against him would hopefully bring out the best in the veteran or open the door for a potential upgrade to take his place, taking the offensive line to another level in either scenario.

Round 5, Pick 146 - Nick Barrett, DT, South Carolina*

*Acquired from Browns in exchange for No. 32, No. 96, and a 2027 fifth round pick

When the 2026 season opens in September, the Seahawks will have their full arsenal of defensive tackles from last year’s Super Bowl-winning squad back in uniform, including All-Pro Leonard Williams and emerging star Byron Murphy II. In addition, the team has high hopes for second year defender Rylie Mills, who missed most of his rookie year recovering from a torn ACL before registering his first career sack in the big game against the Patriots in February, making the position anything but a glaring need in the present.

However, Williams will be entering the final year of his current contract and Jarran Reed turns 34 in December, so beyond 2026, Seattle will have some decisions to make and adding a young rotational piece such as Barrett would make since in the middle of Day 3. Boasting a thick, burly 312-pound frame with a powerful lower body and barrel chest, Barrett looks the part of an NFL nose tackle, and for the most part, he plays to that size in the middle. He regularly took on double teams with success against SEC competition, keeping teammates behind him clean to make plays, and capped off his college career with more tackles of his own. It remains to be seen whether that will translate much to the NFL with below-average quickness and agility to get to ball carriers. He’s also not much of a pass rushing presence, which will likely render him to early down usage as a run defending specialist.

But at this stage of the draft, finding a quality reserve who can jump into the rotation and contribute valuable snaps as a 0 or 1-tech nose would be a solid acquisition, at minimum providing an upgrade to the competition to vie for snaps against incumbent Brandon Pili who may have more upside beyond 2026.

Round 6, Pick 188 - Skyler Thomas, S, Oregon State

Over the years, Schneider has taken fliers on local prospects who made pre-draft visits in the latter rounds on a few occasions, including Washington linebacker Ben Burr-Kirven in 2019 and Oregon State safety Ryan Murphy in 2015. While safety isn’t a huge need even after the departure of Coby Bryant in free agency, this would be the ideal spot to take a shot on one of those local talents as added depth and a potential practice squad stash and develop option.

A two-year starter for the Beavers, Thomas made marked improvements during a five-year stay in Corvallis, unfortunately coinciding in limited success for the program in the win column. He offers plus size at 6-1, 210 pounds and though he didn’t generate many interceptions at the college level, his length served him well tallying 11 pass breakups in 2024 and 2025. At his best matched up on tight ends, he held his own physically in those matchups in coverage, struggling more when he had to run with faster, shiftier receivers in space. A willing tackler, his pursuit angles can be a roller coaster at times, but when he’s right, he plays the run as a quick reading, downhill box defender. He shined as a kick and punt coverage stalwart, which will be his pathway to an NFL roster spot early.

Finishing with only six draft selections, the Seahawks will be hoping to strike gold again with a late round flier in the defensive backfield that turns into a capable rotational piece and special teams standout.