Ranking Seahawks: Nehemiah Pritchett, Christian Haynes Face Critical Camp Atop No. 40-36

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Seattle Seahawks cornerback Nehemiah Pritchett (28) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images [/caption]

With the calendar recently flipping to July and offseason workouts wrapped up league-wide for the summer, the defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks will soon descend upon the Virginia Mason Athletic Center for the start of training camp, kicking off a much-anticipated 2026 season.

To celebrate the new incoming season, I will be ranking every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks leading up to report day, providing detailed profiles, exploring best and worst case scenarios, and breaking down what to expect from each player entering the 2026 campaign.

Continuing the 90-man countdown with No. 40-36, two 2023 draft picks will have pressure on them to prove they deserve a roster spot with new competition on board to battle against and an incoming rookie has sights on a starting job in a crowded safety group:

40. Michael Dickson, P

2025 Stats: 2,548 punting yards, 20 punts inside opposing 20-yard line

When the Seahawks traded up with the Broncos to pick Dickson in the fifth round of the 2018 NFL Draft, their trade partners could be seen mocking the selection. But closing in on a decade later, nobody is laughing now except the Aussie punter, who has been one of the NFL's best ever since breaking into the NFL. After being named a First-Team All-Pro as a rookie, the former Texas standout hasn't quite reached those same heights in the past seven seasons, but he has remained a legitimate weapon on special teams, seemingly orchestrating wizardry with his right foot pinning opponents deep in their own territory.

Dating back to his rookie season, Dickson has finished in the top seven in punts down inside the opposing 20-yard line four times, finished in the top six in net yardage per punt four times, and only finished outside of the top 12 in yards per punt once in eight years, exhibiting consistence excellence few players at his position can match. He's also excelled as a holder for kicker Jason Myers, playing an important role in his teammate's success booting footballs between the uprights, including setting a franchise record for 50-plus yard field goals last season. On the heels of a Second-Team All-Pro selection last season, he remains among the best at his position in the entire league.

Best Case Scenario: Taking his wizardry punting the football to a brand new level in his ninth season, Dickson sits atop the NFL leaderboard in net yards per punt and punts pinned inside the opposing five-yard line among other notable categories, earning his second First-Team All-Pro selection.

Worst Case Scenario: While far from being one of the worst punters in the league, Dickson slogs through an uncharacteristically average season, sitting in the 15-20 range in net yards per punt and punts inside the opposing 20 yard-line percentage while seeing an uptick in punts rolling into the end zone for touchbacks.

What to Expect: Ever since stepping onto the practice field at the VMAC for the first time, it can be argued no punter has been more consistently great than Dickson, whose worst seasons would be quality ones for most other punters in the league. His combination of leg strength, accuracy, and the ability to make the ball do funky things inside the five-yard line puts him in elite company with the best of the best and as long as he avoids injury, he should once again be one of the favorites to earn All-Pro honors in what is becoming quite the decorated career.

39. Christian Haynes, G

2025 Stats: One pressure allowed

A two-star recruit coming out of Maryland, Haynes committed to Connecticut in 2018. He played in just 60 snaps as a true freshman for the Huskies and didn't play at all in the COVID season of 2020, but his NFL stock took a major boost over the next three seasons, including allowing single digit pressures and earning All-American honors in 2022. He was nearly an impressive in his senior season at UConn, once again garnering All-American recognition with one sack and 12 pressures allowed, emerging as one of the top offensive line prospects in the 2024 draft class.

After a strong week in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, the Seahawks selected Haynes at 81st overall in the third round with the idea that he could be a future starter at guard, potentially battling for a spot in the lineup at either guard spot on Day 1. But his transition to the NFL has not gone as planned to this point, as he lost competitions for the starting right guard job in each of his first two seasons to Anthony Bradford, seeing the field for only 38 offensive snaps in the regular season in 2025. Entering his third season without a clear shot at a starting job, the once highly-touted blocker faces a critical training camp with a roster spot no longer guaranteed moving forward.

Best Case Scenario: Finally having the light switch come on to an extent, though Haynes isn’t in the mix for a starting job this time around, he outperforms second-year guard Bryce Cabeldue and rookie Beau Stephens during the preseason, ensuring his spot as the main swing guard behind Bradford and Grey Zabel.

Worst Case Scenario: Continuing to struggle rediscovering the traits that made him an All-American at UConn, Haynes quickly slips from the second team offense early in camp to battling for extra reps in the third and fourth quarter in preseason games, leading to his unceremonious release in late August after no trade partners are found.

What to Expect: John Schneider hasn’t had many misses in the draft during the past five years, but Haynes stands out as one of the few players selected in the first two days by the Seahawks who has failed to come close to meeting expectations. Aside from being outright beat out by Bradford for the right guard job two years in a row, he failed to capitalize on chances to show he could play center in training camp last year, an experiment Seattle moved on from pretty quickly due to errant snaps. Without the offensive line coach who helped draft him three years ago no longer on Mike Macdonald’s staff, he will have a bit of an uphill climb to rebuild confidence in him from John Benton and offensive coaches, especially after the team traded a future pick to jump back into the fifth round to select Stephens in April. A stellar training camp could salvage the situation as a reliable backup, but he will have to outperform Cabeldue and Stephens to make that happen, which past results suggest is far from a given.

38. Robbie Ouzts, FB

2025 Stats: No statistics in 12 games

One of the top tight end prospects in the nation heralding from Rock Hill High School in South Carolina, Ouzts committed to Alabama in 2021, playing mostly special teams in his first two seasons before taking on a more extended role as a junior and senior. A punishing blocker with the size to handle assignments against defensive ends in the SEC, he helped open up run lanes current/former teammate Jalen Milroe as well as a talented stable of running backs. Though hardly a consistent target in the passing game, he caught 16 passes in four seasons with the Crimson Tide and scored three touchdowns in his final two years on campus.

Seeking a big-bodied, athletic blocker who could step in as a viable force at fullback in an offense that will utilize two-back personnel far more often than previous play callers, the Seahawks invested the 172nd overall pick in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft in Ouzts, moving him to fullback full time. As a rookie, he dealt with multiple injuries, missing seven combined regular season and playoff games with a high ankle sprain as well as a neck injury, contributing as a lead blocker with 203 total snaps as a fullback in Klint Kubiak’s offense. He once again will vie for snaps in the backfield in two-back sets, competing against Brady Russell this summer.

Best Case Scenario: Fully recovered from the neck injury that sidelined him for much of December and January, Ouzts quickly takes on a significant role in Brian Fleury’s offense, including catching a couple of passes during the preseason, locking up extensive snaps in an offense with more two-back personnel groupings.

Worst Case Scenario: While proving himself as a capable lead blocker, Ouzts’ lack of sizzle as a pass-catching option somewhat restricted positional flexibility ends up costing him snaps at the expense of Russell, leading to a surprising release and returning on the practice squad in early September.

What to Expect: Boasting an exciting athletic profile at 270-plus pounds, Ouzts arrived to much hoopla with the fan base fired up to deploy a fullback in the offense again, and to his credit, he delivered as a punishing lead blocker when healthy during his rookie year. He didn’t show much else, however, failing to catch a single pass on over 200 offensive snaps, which could be a bigger part of Fleury’s offense throwing to backs out of the backfield than a year ago. This spring, he made a few nice receptions in open practices and flashed underrated athletic juice running a couple of wheel routes with great fluidity for a player of his size, so it’s possible he could emerge as an unexpected checkdown favorite for Sam Darnold. At the same time, Fleury may prefer a more versatile player like Russell who can move around the formation, similar to how the 49ers utilize Kyle Juszczyk in Kyle Shanahan’s scheme. If that becomes an issue, his standing on the roster could suddenly be in question, but for now, it seems more likely he will still be the main fullback assuming a clean bill of health.

37. Nehemiah Pritchett, CB

2025 Stats: 14 tackles, two pass breakups

Rated a three-star prospect coming out of Jackson High School in southwestern Alabama, Pritchett signed with Auburn over several other Power 4 programs and appeared in six games as a true freshman in 2019, totaling four tackles. He stepped into a larger role for the Tigers as a sophomore, finishing the 2020 season with 25 total tackles, one interception and 10 passes defensed in 11 games. Playing five seasons at Auburn with an extra year of eligibility due to COVID-19, he started for the Tigers in his final three seasons on campus and appeared in 34 games, amassing 86 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and 14 pass breakups.

Pritchett missed the first three games of his final season due to an undisclosed injury, but after running a sub-4.4 40-yard dash at the combine, Seattle picked him to lead off the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft, making him the first of two Auburn cornerbacks chosen by the franchise. Thrust into action early in his rookie season due to injuries ahead of him on the depth chart, he has seen the field for 242 defensive snaps in his first two seasons, enduring inconsistent play with three pass breakups while allowing three touchdowns in coverage. Following the departure of Riq Woolen in free agency, he will be one of the front runners to step into the third cornerback spot when camp opens.

Best Case Scenario: Reaping the rewards of going through bumps in the road in his first two seasons, a more confident, consistent Pritchett gets his hands on a couple of picks during training camp and fends off Noah Igbinoghene and three incoming rookies to win the No. 3 cornerback spot and holds onto the job all season long.

Worst Case Scenario: Still susceptible to giving up the big play in coverage and leaky as a tackler, Pritchett’s athletic tools only take him so far in a wide-open competition as Igbinoghene and rookie Julian Neal quickly pass over him on the depth chart and he’s ultimately waived in favor of seventh round pick Andre Fuller.

What to Expect: Called into action in some difficult situations during his first two seasons, Pritchett has been an immediate target for opposing quarterbacks, in part due to the presence of Devon Witherspoon and previously Riq Woolen forcing the ball his direction. His execution has been feast or famine, making several nice pass breakups - including denying Cardinals receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. a touchdown in Week 10 last November - while also getting toasted for a couple of long touchdowns against the Buccaneers earlier in the schedule. The Seahawks remain enamored by his upside, as he has fun athletic specs and size to continue molding as a boundary cornerback. This will be his best shot to earn a significant role in the secondary as a potential replacement for Riq Woolen, and he may even enter camp as the favorite for the No. 3 job, but he will have to demonstrate improved consistency in coverage and as a tackler to beat out the likes of Igbinoghene and Neal in the heat of August.

36. Bud Clark, S

2025 Stats: 56 tackles, four interceptions (at TCU)

Recruited heavily by numerous Power 4 programs, Clark originally committed to Virginia before changing his mind and deciding to take his talents to TCU. Injuries dogged him in his first two years on campus, but the ball-hawking safety found his stride starting in 2022, intercepting five passes and returning one of those picks for a touchdown in a breakthrough redshirt sophomore season. He followed up with two straight years with three interceptions and produced a career-high 67 tackles in 2024, earning All-Big 12 honors before being awarded an additional year of eligibility and returning to the Horned Frogs.

As a super senior, playing snaps at safety as well as slot cornerback, Clark intercepted four passes and scored his second career touchdown, garnering Second-Team All-Big 12 honors for the second straight year. He turned in an impressive week in Mobile at the Senior Bowl and had a fantastic combine workout, including running the 40-yard dash in 4.41 seconds and posting a 38-inch vertical jump. Seeking a replacement for Coby Bryant in the secondary, Seattle tabbed him with the 64th overall selection in the second round, presenting an opportunity for him to compete against Ty Okada for early playing time alongside Julian Love at the safety positions as a rookie.

Best Case Scenario: Playing with no shortage of swag as a multi-positional chess piece with the desire to jump passing routes, Clark picks off a pass in his preseason debut and winds up surpassing Okada before the start of the regular season for the second starting deep safety spot, making a valiant run at Rookie of the Year honors.

Worst Case Scenario: Though he gradually sees an uptick in reps out of dime and bandit packages featuring six or seven defensive backs on the field at the same time, Clark endures some challenges tackling NFL ball carriers and the ever-so-steady Okada maintains a steady lead over him for the second safety spot from Day 1.

What to Expect: A turnover-creating dynamo who has the charismatic personality Macdonald seems to be drawn to in the secondary, Clark won’t be entering the most ideal situation, as even without Bryant returning, the Seahawks still have Julian Love, Nick Emmanwori, Okada, and D’Anthony Bell among others vying for snaps atop the depth chart. What will help the rookie’s odds of seeing the field early, however, is his track record of ball production working out of the slot, creating another role to help get him additional playing time while still utilizing Okada as the third safety in certain sub-packages. Like Pritchett, his tackling will be under the radar out of the gate, as he had a tendency to dive at ball carriers in college rather than wrap them up, which won’t fly in the league. But if he takes to coaching in that regard, he has an excellent opportunity in front of him to carve out a significant gig as a hybrid safety/nickel and make an impact as a rookie for an already loaded defense.

Previous 90-Man Rankings

91-86 | 85-81 | 80-76 | 75-71 | 70-66 | 65-61 | 60-56 | 55-51 | 50-46 | 45-41