> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # 2026 NFL Draft: Ranking 10 Possible Picks for Seahawks to Take at No. 32 in First Round - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/power-ranking-10-possible-picks-seattle-seahawks-first-round-2026-nfl-draft/ - Published: 2026-04-02T19:20:46.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:56:04.000Z - Author: Nick Lee - Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, 2026 NFL Draft, Lee Hunter, Jacob Rodriguez, Chris Johnson, Colton Hood, D'Angelo Ponds, TJ Parker, Malachi Lawrence, Brandon Cisse, Zion Young, Chase Bisontis \[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="5418"\] ![ Clemson Tigers defensive end T.J. Parker (3) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the 2024 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/tigers-defensive-end-t-j--parker--283-29-reacts-after-a-play-during-the-third-quarter-against-the-southern-methodist-mustangs-in-the-2024-acc-championship-game-at-bank-of-america-stadium--mandatory-credit-3a-bob-donnan-imagn-images-format-original.jpg) Clemson Tigers defensive end T.J. Parker (3) reacts after a play during the third quarter against the Southern Methodist Mustangs in the 2024 ACC Championship game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images \[/caption\] The calendar has turned to April. For some, that means baseball season. For others, The Masters, the Final Four, or planting a garden, or looking forward to longer hours of daylight. For football fans, that means the NFL Draft is closing in. The 2026 NFL Draft will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from April 23 to 25\. By virtue of winning the Super Bowl, the Seattle Seahawks have the last pick in the draft, selecting 32nd overall. Certainly, that’s the goal for every NFL franchise to be picking last in the draft because that means you just hoisted the Lombardi Trophy. Indeed, the defending champs have a host of needs heading into the draft. They didn’t address needs with major moves in free agency. Their biggest moves, aside from re-signing a few of their own, were to sign running back Emanuel Wilson and corner Noah Igbinoghene, both getting just one-year deals under $2 million. Now, the main way teams can improve their team between now and fall is via the draft. Who might the Seahawks take at 32 (if they pick there at all)? Which options are better than others? Let’s rank the 10 possible prospects the Seahawks could select at No. 32\. Disclaimer: I ran two separate mock draft simulators and only picked from the pool of players still available at 32 in each simulation. No, the Seahawks will not be able to get Jeremiyah Love at pick 32. Regarding positions of need, let’s focus on edge rushers, corners, defensive linemen, interior offensive line, and linebackers. Most other positions would not make a lot of sense for Seattle to draft in the first round. *\*The players taken right before the Seahawks’ draft slot that will be unavailable are:* *KC Concepcion, WR, Texas A&M* *Avieon Terrell, CB, Clemson* *Akheem Mesidor, EDGE, Miami* ### 10\. Jacob Rodriguez, LB, Texas Tech The Seahawks don’t necessarily need a linebacker, given they have Ernest Jones, Drake Thomas, and Tyrice Knight all under contract for the next two years. However, you will struggle to find a more decorated linebacker coming out of college than Rodriguez. He even got Heisman Trophy hype. He won the Nagurski, Lombardi, Butkus, and Bednarik Awards, was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, and looked solid in the Senior Bowl. Now, Rodriguez isn’t the biggest guy, with below average size and length for an NFL off-ball linebacker. However, he has athleticism to make most of the plays asked of him. He would be an excellent addition to an already talented linebacking corps. Yet, with the Seahawks not needing a linebacker, combined with his questionable size, this wouldn’t be the best usage of their 32nd pick. ### 9\. Lee Hunter, DT, Texas Tech Rodriguez’s teammate at Texas Tech may be the more intriguing NFL prospect. Sure, the Seahawks are stacked along the defensive line. However, Jarran Reed and Leonard Williams aren’t getting any younger. Hunter also projects more as a 1-tech nose tackle-type, which could complement what Seattle already has in the trenches defensively. Brandon Pili is under contract for one more year as Seattle’s de facto nose tackle. However, Hunter is much more dynamic. At 6-3 and 318 pounds, he moves well for his size. If the Seahawks wanted to draft a defensive tackle that fits the nose role with more upside than being a space eating run stuffer, Hunter is the guy. Still, that might not make a ton of sense at pick 32\. ### 8\. D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana Our first cornerback on this list is one that comes from the defending national champion Hoosiers. Ponds, who started his college career at James Madison, is explosive, fluid, smart, and tough. He had an interception against Oregon in the College Football Playoff semifinal and three pass breakups against Miami in the national title game. So, why is he only No. 8 on this list? To put it bluntly, he’s tiny. At 5-9, he ranks in the 10th percentile for height. At 182 pounds, he’s also well below what scouts typically like from an NFL corner. The most damning regarding his possible fit with Seattle is his 29 3/8-inch arms, which is in the *fourth* percentile. In just about every other aspect, Ponds is an NFL-caliber cornerback with immense talent. However, his size is a big red flag that could drop him out of Day 1 completely. ### 7\. Chase Bisontis, IOL, Texas A&M It’s not outside the realm of possibility that the Seahawks take a guard in the first round for a second straight year. I doubt that has happened very often. But after the success of Grey Zabel last year, the Seahawks may want to go to that well again. Anthony Bradford certainly found himself in the crosshairs of the Seahawks fanbase for most of last season. Still, he graded out as a serviceable right guard. If the Seahawks wanted to upgrade there, Bisontis is a solid option. He’s a near-perfect blend of size, athleticism, and nastiness. The optics of Seattle taking yet another interior lineman in the first round may irk some. But putting Bisontis on this line, with everything else they have in place, it might make the offensive line nearly as complete as Seattle’s defensive front. He has about as high of a ceiling as any interior lineman in this draft and the ‘Hawks would suddenly have all five projected starters under contract together for at least two years. ### 6\. Malachi Lawrence, EDGE, UCF This is the first edge rusher on this list, and certainly, the Seahawks need one. On the list of possible position groups they draft in the first round, edge rusher needs to be near the top. If DeMarcus Lawrence does not retire, while his contract runs through 2027, he still likely only has a year left in Seattle. Uchenna Nwosu is a free agent after this season, and so is Derick Hall, leaving no other players with significant experience at the position under contract after this season. Malachi Lawrence at No. 32 might be a reach in some eyes. However, he has the combination of size, athleticism, and established pass-rushing arsenal to make an impact early in his pro career and compares favorably to Boye Mafe, who just signed with Cincinnati. In his final two seasons at UCF, he totaled 17 tackles for loss and 12.0 sacks. At 6-4 with 33 5/8-inch arms and a 4.52 40-yard-dash time, he checks most of the boxes. Most of the issues with him are very coachable. He seems like he would thrive in Seattle’s program. ### 5\. Zion Young, EDGE, Missouri Young only gets a higher spot on this list than Lawrence because of his size and more well-rounded skill set. His 16.5 tackles for loss last year ranked second in the SEC. He is explosive with a high motor, never giving up on a play, be it run or pass. He possesses elite length at 6-6\. In Mobile, he put together one of the most impressive Senior Bowls among any 2026 prospect. Lawrence might possess a better pass-rushing arsenal than Young at the moment, but Young seems to have the higher ceiling. The red flag on Young is he was arrested for DWI in December. If that was just a blip on the radar, the Seahawks would get a player ready to be part of the rotation instantly whose intensity and hot motor would be a fun addition to a talented defensive front. ### 4\. Brandon Cisse, CB, South Carolina Nick Emmanwori’s teammate at South Carolina certainly has a spring in his step. Cisse’s 41-inch vertical and 133-inch broad jump are both north of the 90th percentile. He is one of the twitchiest, most rangy corners in this draft. Certainly, that fits the mold of what the Seahawks need after losing Riq Woolen to the Eagles. Cisse is ultra-aggressive, which at times comes back to bite him. But that’s something Mike Macdonald can work with. He ranked fifth among all Power 4 level cornerbacks in run defense grade. The only knock on Cisse is he is not as long and tall as the other two corners higher on this list. ### 3\. T.J. Parker, EDGE, Clemson A powerful, well-built edge rusher, Parker might be exactly what the Seahawks are looking for to provide a long-term answer at the EDGE spot. His 2024 season was as product as any in the ACC, with 11.0 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss. His production in 2025 sank, just like most of the Clemson Tigers team. Still, he is one of the more polished edge rusher prospects in this class. Parker’s Senior Bowl performance certainly suggested he could be a solid pick at 32\. He will likely be Seattle’s best option for a impactful edge rusher available at the final pick of the first round. ### 2\. Colton Hood, CB, Tennessee At three stops in three seasons in college, Hood made an impact everywhere he went. In 2024 at Colorado, he had two interceptions and six passes defended. He moved to the SEC ranks with the Volunteers last season to similar results, allowing only one touchdown in 52 targets faced. Explosive and twitchy, Hood has just about any trait you would want from a boundary corner prospect. While he doesn’t have elite size, he seems to play bigger than he is. The one thing keeping him from being No. 1 on this list might be his size and middling run defending, but the latter can still be coached up and his ball skills would make him a fun pairing with Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe. ### 1\. Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State Johnson just screams Seahawks cornerback in the Mike Macdonald era. While not possessing elite, Woolen-esque size and length, he checks the box at 6-0 and 193 pounds. His 4.40 40 time at the combine is what got him going towards the trajectory of a first rounder. He is one of the best corners in this class at mirroring routes and not being fooled by double moves. His testing numbers in general confirm that his solid technique is complemented by top-tier athleticism. Johnson is an elite ball-hawker who also has zero problem getting down and dirty in the run game. His four interceptions led the Mountain West Conference and he ran two back for touchdowns. He is a technician that Macdonald would appreciate opposite Jobe and Witherspoon. Plus, he likely fits Macdonald’s scheme better than other corners on this list. If Johnson is available at 32, he is a great option to instantly upgrade the secondary.