Ranking Seahawks: Emanuel Wilson Among Newcomers Aiming to Impress in No. 45-41

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Seattle Seahawks running back Emanuel Wilson runs through a bag drill during mandatory minicamp at the VMAC. Credit: Corbin Smith/Emerald City Spectrum [/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.

Jumping deeper into the top 50 with No. 45-41, two veteran free agent signings will be thrusted into wide open competitions at running back and cornerback, hoping to make their mark for the defending champions:

45. Julian Neal, CB

2025 Stats: 55 tackles, two interceptions, eight pass breakups (at Arkansas)

Starting off his collegiate career at Fresno State as a safety and sub-package linebacker, Neal transitioned to cornerback during his second season with the Bulldogs, needing additional time to develop behind the scenes while primarily pitching in on special teams. But he enjoyed a breakout junior season in 2024, recording 35 tackles, two interceptions, and a sack in his first year as a full-time starter. Ready to step up his game against top competition, he entered the transfer portal and took his talents to Arkansas, instantly being plugged in as a starter on Day 1 playing on the boundary.

Thriving in his lone season in Fayetteville, while Neal got nipped a few times by the deep ball giving up three touchdowns, he recorded 55 tackles, two interceptions, and eight pass breakups for the Razorbacks and only missed four total tackles, demonstrating great proficiency as a run defender for the cornerback spot. Invited to the Senior Bowl as well as the NFL combine, he turned in an impressive pre-draft circuit to bolster his stock, eventually landing with the Seahawks as the 99th overall pick in the third round. Coming on board as one of three corners drafted by the team, he will have an immediate opportunity to step in as a replacement for departed former starter Riq Woolen.

Best Case Scenario: Bringing his hard hat as a tackler and showing he can handle NFL speed during the early stages of camp, Neal quickly vaults over the likes of Nehemiah Pritchett and Noah Igbinoghene, using a stellar preseason to lock up the No. 3 cornerback job and significant early snaps in nickel/dime packages as a rookie.

Worst Case Scenario: Still a relative novice at cornerback with only one year of Power 4 experience under his belt, Neal receives tough lessons going against Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Seattle’s stacked receiving corps, failing to do enough in the preseason to threaten Pritchett or Igbinoghene for defensive reps while playing plenty of special teams.

What to Expect: A physical, tough-minded player with size, length, and budding ball skills, Neal checks off all of the boxes Mike Macdonald desires at the cornerback position. With that said, he will come into the NFL with only two seasons of starting experience as a defensive back at the college level, with just one of those two years being against elite competition. Speed occasionally got the best of him in the SEC, as two of his three touchdowns allowed in coverage came on deep bombs downfield, so he will have to prove that he can limit those plays over the top early on to have a shot at winning defensive reps as a rookie. Making quick strides technically will go a long way towards improving in that area, so if he takes to Macdonald and Karl Scott’s teachings, a significant role in year one isn’t out of the question. At worst, he should be a quality candidate to play gunner on punt coverage and contribute elsewhere on special teams as he develops defensively.

44. Josh Jones, T

2025 Stats: Nine pressures, two sacks allowed

Selected by the Cardinals as a third-round pick in the 2020 NFL Draft coming out of Houston, Jones barely played as a rookie before stepping into the starting lineup at right tackle and right guard in 2021. During his first extended action, he allowed four sacks and 29 pressures in pass protection while committing a whopping 12 penalties, struggling to adjust to blocking against NFL talent. The following year, with injuries striking Arizona’s front line, he slid to left tackle and surrendered four sacks and 27 pressures on 417 pass blocking snaps, though Pro Football Focus gave him a favorable 75.8 overall grade despite those numbers.

Prior to the start of the 2023 season, after the Cardinals drafted Paris Johnson Jr. in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, Jones became expendable as a reserve and the team dealt him to the Texans for a seventh-round pick. Appearing in 13 games with three starts at left tackle, left guard, and right tackle, he surrendered nine pressures and a sack in limited action before becoming an unrestricted free agent and signing a one-year contract with Baltimore, where he played just 64 total offensive snaps in 2024. Joining the Seahawks last season as a backup, he played admirably in place of left tackle Charles Cross in the final three regular season games to help the team clinch an NFC West title, earning a new one-year contract worth north of $4 million in March.

Best Case Scenario: Arriving at training camp recovered from the injury that kept him out all of the offseason program, Jones doesn’t miss a beat subbing it at both tackle spots as the clear swing tackle candidate behind Cross and Abraham Lucas, leaving no doubt about his standing as the best reserve on the roster.

Worst Case Scenario: Not quite healthy for the start of camp, Jones misses extensive practice, opening the door for second-year blockers Amari Kight, Logan Brown, and Mason Richman to establish themselves as viable threats to his swing tackle role, but the Seahawks keep him as the main backup anyway.

What to Expect: While the coach likely wasn’t trying to do so, Macdonald created an unexpected stir with some comments he made about Jones not being ready to practice during minicamp last month that sparked some controversy. But in reality, the team isn’t at odds with the player at all or vice versa, and after playing really well in place of Cross late last season to aid the team’s playoff push and paying him borderline flex-starter money, his roster spot with the Seahawks isn’t in jeopardy at all. As long as he’s healthy in the early stages of camp and the injury he battled in the offseason doesn’t linger, he will be the primary backup behind Cross and Lucas in 2026, leaving one other spot for one of the younger tackles on the roster to potentially earn on the 53.

43. Chris Stoll, LS

2025 Stats: One tackle in 17 games

A multi-sport athlete at St. Francis DeSales High School, Stoll opted to walk on at Penn State and after not seeing any playing time in his first two years on campus, he took over as the full-time long snapper. Playing in 48 career games, he would hold that role over the next four seasons, winning the Patrick Mannelly Award as the nation's best long snapper in 2022. Participating in the East/West Shrine Game all-star showcase in February, he signed with the Seahawks as a priority undrafted free agent shortly after the conclusion of the 2023 NFL Draft.

Proving to be an excellent replacement for former starter for Tyler Ott, Stoll has been a beacon of reliability and consistency over three seasons with the Seahawks, delivering sharp snaps to punter/holder Michael Dickson at a near-100% clip. While Dickson and kicker Jason Myers have each garnered recognition as Pro Bowlers in the past, the long snapper deserves immense credit as a key cog in the special teams trifecta that will now be entering their fourth season working together and emerged as one of the best kick/punt batteries in the entire NFL.

Best Case Scenario: Continuing to play at an elite level, Stoll makes Seattle’s new two-year contract to him look like a bargain as he keeps firing perfect snaps back to Dickson on kick and punt teams.

Worst Case Scenario: Unlike previous seasons, Stoll has a couple of errant snaps get away from him that lead to quick points for the opposition, preventing him from being in consideration for All-Pro or Pro Bowl recognition.

What to Expect: As a long snapper, Stoll’s performance won’t be noticed by most fans unless he makes mistakes, something he has rarely done in three seasons with the Seahawks. Up to this point, he has been nothing but consistently sharp, and there’s no reason to expect anything different heading into his fourth year as a key piece on special teams.

42. Emanuel Wilson, RB

2025 Stats: 496 rushing yards, three touchdowns

Wilson broke into the league as an undrafted free agent in 2023 after taking quite the unconventional path to the NFL. Lightly recruited out of high school with few offers, he started his college career at Johnson C. Smith University, a Division II program in Charlotte, North Carolina. After not playing in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, he transferred to another Division II school in Fort Valley State, where he rushed for 1,371 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2022 before deciding to go pro rather than transferring again to test his mettle at the Division I level. He signed with the Broncos as an undrafted free agent, only to be waived three days later.

But after that hiccup with Denver, Wilson latched on with the Packers, earning a spot on the 53-man roster after an excellent preseason, rushing 14 times for 85 yards before being placed on injured reserve. Taking on a bigger role behind Josh Jacobs in 2024, he rushed for 502 yards and four touchdowns while averaging a healthy 4.9 yards per carry and forcing 27 missed tackles, setting him up to be the primary backup last season. He nearly hit the 500-yard mark again and produced his first 100-plus yard game in a start against the Vikings, and with the Packers not making a strong offer to retain him, he chose to sign a one-year deal with the Seahawks in free agency to help offset Ken Walker III’s departure and Zach Charbonnet’s ongoing return from a torn ACL.

Best Case Scenario: Building off two productive seasons in Green Bay, Wilson makes a surprising push for a Week 1 starting spot with an impressive camp and preseason, ultimately settling into the No. 2 role behind rookie Jadarian Price and taking the majority of carries over George Holani as the change of pace back.

Worst Case Scenario: Not as refined in the passing game in general as a receiver or pass protector, Wilson’s rugged, physical running style nets him a situational job at the goal line and in short yardage, but an earlier return from Charbonnet than expected leads to a further diminished role and a handful of healthy scratch designations.

What to Expect: Looking for an expanded opportunity after flashing starter potential in Green Bay, Wilson joins the Seahawks under unusual circumstances. On one hand, because Walker now resides in Kansas City and Charbonnet has a ways to go in his recovery from knee surgery, the door has been opened for him to win extensive carries early on in the Pacific Northwest, especially if Price isn’t quite ready for prime time as a starter out of the gate. But on the flip side, Holani offers more versatility as a true three-down back and once Charbonnet returns, the need for a goal line/short yardage vulture to step up in his absence won’t be there anymore. Considering the situation, Wilson will need to get off to a quick start to carve out a meaningful role and make a significant impact on game day early in the regular season to ensure he stays in the rotation as the season progresses.

41. Noah Igbinoghene, CB

2025 Stats: 35 tackles, one sack, four pass breakups

Once a highly touted prospect coming out of Auburn, Igbinoghene landed with the Dolphins as the 30th overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, breaking into the league at just 20 years old. He appeared in 16 games as a rookie with a pair of starts for Miami, struggling in his first action against NFL talent, allowing 18 yards per reception and three touchdowns. The Dolphins hoped to see Igbinoghene take a big leap forward in his sophomore season, but he wound up being a healthy scratch for nearly as many games as he suited up for and they held him out for 15 combined games as a healthy scratch in 2021 and 2022.

Frustrated by his lack of progress, Miami traded Igbinoghene to Dallas and returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown early in his first season with the Cowboys, only to see his snaps diminish as the season unfolded. He signed with the Commanders as a free agent in 2024 and enjoyed his best season as a pro in Dan Quinn’s defense, yielding 65 tackles and six pass breakups while allowing receivers to post a career-low 10.3 yards per reception against him. In a reduced role, he didn’t allow any touchdowns and produced four pass breakups for Washington last season, and after signing a one-year deal with Seattle, he will vie for a starting role with the ability to play both on the boundary and in the slot.

Best Case Scenario: Finally playing to his talent level in a defensive scheme well-suited for his versatility, Igbinoghene builds off a stellar offseason program with a strong training camp, winning the third cornerback spot while logging snaps on the boundary and in the nickel spot along with contributing on special teams.

Worst Case Scenario: Battling consistency issues with up-and-down performance in camp, Igbinoghene can’t fully seize his opportunity as he loses out on first-team reps to Neal and Pritchett, only maintaining a roster spot as a reserve due to his flexibility and special teams talent.

What to Expect: Now entering his seventh season, Igbinoghene’s career hasn’t gone as planned to this point with only one season starting more than two games, but he’s still only 26 years old and did showcase a bit more promise in his two previous seasons with the Commanders. The Seahawks have had interest in him for a couple of years now, suggesting they see something in him that they can unlock that previous teams he played for were not, and the offseason program offered some encouraging results with a pick six and four pass breakups in two open minicamp practices. That likely puts him in the driver’s seat to win the third corner spot going into camp, but he will have to maintain that high level of play with several worthy competitors still looming closely in his rearview mirror if he wants to carve out a major role for Seattle’s secondary. Otherwise, a special teams-centric role will once again be awaiting him.

Previous 90-Man Rankings

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