Ranking Seahawks: Ex-Colts Starter Rodney Thomas Looks to Jumpstart Career, Headlining No. 50-46

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Veteran safety Rodney Thomas II looks on during a drill at the Seattle Seahawks mandatory minicamp. 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.

Continuing with No. 50-46 on my annual rankings, an incoming rookie will enter the fold seeking a key backup role along the offensive line and a ball-hawking safety hopes a hard reset changing zip codes will pay major dividends jump-starting his career after a promising start:

50. Beau Stephens, G

2025 Stats: Four pressures, no sacks allowed (at Iowa)

Taking his talents north after starring at Blue Ridge High School in Missouri, Stephens committed to join the Hawkeyes and appeared in one game as a freshman before redshirting. He started 10 games as a sophomore at right guard and was set to remain in that spot the following season, only for knee/ankle issues to end his season after just five games. Upon his return from injury, he started 12 games at left guard for Iowa’s offensive line in 2024, helping the group finish as a finalist for the Joe Moore Award.

Turning in his best season as a super senior and earning All-American honors, Stephens allowed just four pressures without allowing a single sack while posting a 99.3 Pass Block Efficiency Rate in pass protection, and Pro Football Focus graded him as the third-best qualified zone run blocking guard (89.2) in the nation. With the talented lineman falling into the fifth round, the Seahawks decided to pounce, trading a future pick to move back into the draft to select him. Due to starters Anthony Bradford and Grey Zabel returning, a spot in the lineup likely won’t be available in 2026, but he could be a future starter on the right side with Bradford entering the final year of his rookie contract.

Best Case Scenario: Coming into the league with a strong technical foundation, Stephens plays well with the second team offense for Seattle during the preseason, beating out Christian Haynes and Bryce Cabeldue for the backup swing guard spot behind Zabel and Bradford while setting the stage for him to potentially start as early as 2027.

Worst Case Scenario: Average athleticism contributed to Stephens’ fall in the draft and those concerns arise at times during the preseason with NFL opponents giving him issues testing his edges in pass protection, causing him to fall down the depth chart to the point where Seattle waives him with hopes of retaining him on the practice squad.

What to Expect: When Seattle traded back into the draft to snag Stephens, many fans hoped the move would ramp up immediate heat on Bradford, whose play has been heavily critiqued over the past three years even with improved play in 2025. But with all five starters returning from a Super Bowl winner, such expectations don’t seem realistic or fair, as the team will want to maintain continuity in the trenches. With that said, the Seahawks clearly loved what they saw from him as a prospect to warrant giving up a pick from a stacked 2027 draft, and Bradford’s contract situation presents a prime opportunity for him to take over at right guard in 2027. As a rookie, the key will be establishing himself as one of the top two backups on the roster while competing against former third round pick Christian Haynes and second-year blocker Bryce Cabeldue, ensuring he makes the team and sits next on the depth chart for a shot to play if any injuries arise. Development on the practice field will be prioritized with an eye towards the future, and with him being a strong scheme fit, the table has been set for him to vie for a starting opportunity down the road.

49. Jalen Milroe, QB

2025 Stats: Three carries, four yards

After waiting his turn behind eventual No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young in Tuscaloosa, Milroe took over as the Crimson Tide’s starter in 2023, enjoying a stellar first year under center with 23 touchdown passes, 2,834 passing yards, and 12 rushing touchdowns. He finished sixth in Heisman Trophy balloting and entered the 2024 campaign as a front runner to win the award running new coach Kalen DeBoer’s offense. However, his numbers regressed in his second season as a starter and along with throwing just 16 touchdown passes, his interception total jumped to 11 and his interception rate nearly doubled in comparison to 2023.

Rebuilding his stock to an extent after a somewhat disappointing end to his time with the Crimson Tide, Milroe participated in the Senior Bowl in Mobile and put on a show at his pro day workout, running the 40-yard dash in a blazing 4.39 seconds and interviewing well with teams. Even after signing Sam Darnold and Drew Lock in free agency, the Seahawks used their 92nd overall pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, which they had acquired from the Raiders for former starter Geno Smith, to bring the athletic, unpolished passer on board. Seattle hoped to mix him in as a sub-package weapon to create a potential headache for opponents, but he had three carries for four yards with a fumble in the first five games, leading to him being a healthy scratch for the remainder of the season.

Best Case Scenario: Making noteworthy strides as a passer after an up-and-down second offseason program, Milroe lights it up during the preseason orchestrating the second and third-team offenses, performing well enough for the Seahawks to revisit mixing him in for a few plays a game as a gadget quarterback in the regular season.

Worst Case Scenario: Still struggling with consistency in the throwing mechanics department, Milroe remains well behind Darnold and Lock on the depth chart as the clear third quarterback, and while he makes the roster, he’s only active on an emergency basis just as he was during the second half and playoffs of his rookie year.

What to Expect: As a former third round pick at the most important position in pro sports, Milroe’s status on the roster likely isn’t in jeopardy unless his performance completely bottoms out in the preseason. Under affordable club control as a developmental quarterback for three more seasons, there’s no reason to rush him, especially with Darnold and Lock entrenched atop the depth chart. At the same time, accuracy concerns and ongoing issues with reading progressions didn’t appear to take the step forward in the spring that the Seahawks would have hoped for, and if he isn’t able to right the ship with steadier play in camp and exhibition games, the clock might start to tick a little faster on his time in the Pacific Northwest. There will be plenty of pressure on him to demonstrate progress, not just for the Seahawks, but as being observed by the rest of the league. Regardless, he won’t be expected to see the field much - if at all - in the regular season, though a small Wildcat role can’t be completely ruled out in Brian Fleury’s offense.

48. Rodney Thomas II, S

2025 Stats: 21 tackles, one tackle for loss

Starring as a multi-faceted safety at Yale, Thomas emerged as a rare Ivy League prospect with NFL Draft hopes. He met with numerous teams in the pre-draft process after earning First-Team All-Conference honors, eventually being drafted by the Colts in the seventh round. Injuries in front of him on the depth chart opened up early playing time opportunities and as a rookie, the 6-2 safety maximized on his chances in 17 games with 10 starts, including intercepting four passes for Indianapolis. He remained a starter in 2023, finishing with 34 tackles and two interceptions, though he struggled as a run defender with a missed tackle rate north of 20%.

On the opposite end of the spectrum from the start of his career, the arrival of Nick Cross ultimately knocked Thomas out of the starting lineup entering his third season, limiting him to just seven tackles in 17 games in 2024. Seeing a slight uptick in defensive action for the Colts in 2025, he tripled his tackle total while adding a tackle for loss, making his greatest impact on special teams. Seeking a change of scenery and desiring to play in Mike Macdonald’s defense, he chose to sign a one-year contract with the Seahawks over other opportunities, providing the opportunity to compete for a roster spot in one of the deepest safety rooms in the NFL.

Best Case Scenario: Seeing snaps at both safety spots with an occasional big nickel assignment in the slot throughout camp and the preseason, Thomas gets his hands on a pick and a pass breakup during exhibition games, using that performance to beat out D’Anthony Bell and AJ Finley for the final safety spot on the 53.

Worst Case Scenario: While a solid scheme fit, Thomas finds himself in the crosshairs at the deepest position on Seattle’s roster, and after playing deep into the second half in the final two exhibition games, the Seahawks waive him and he latches on with another team before the start of the regular season.

What to Expect: Long on the radar for the Seahawks, who brought him in for an official 30-visit in 2022, Thomas checks off all of the boxes Mike Macdonald looks for at the safety position. He offers size, length, and ball skills to go with positional multiplicity and has become a quality special teams player over the course of his four-year NFL career. Trying to get onto the field on defense may require an injury, as the arrival of second round pick Bud Clark and return of Ty Okada along with starters Nick Emmanwori and Julian Love puts a logjam in front of him on the depth chart. However, still just 28 years old, his high football IQ and instincts coupled with his physical traits should put him on the right side of the bubble going into camp, and he simply needs to flash the playmaking ability that he demonstrated in his first two seasons to lock up a spot. It’s not a given that he’s on the Week 1 roster, but it would be a mild surprise if he isn’t considering his all-around skill set and the team’s long-standing interest in him.

47. Brady Russell, TE

2025 Stats: 14 tackles, one fumble recovery

A two-star recruit coming out of Fossil Ridge High School in Fort Collins, Colorado, Russell thrived on both sides of the football. While he also was a track star as a freshman in high school, he was arguably a better defensive end than he was a tight end. He had 46 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, 10.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and fumble recovery in his senior year, leading to him signing a letter of intent to play at Colorado. He joined the Buffaloes in 2017 and redshirted before playing in 42 games and tallying 32 starts in Boulder. A constant for the Buffaloes on offense during some unfortunately lean seasons for the program, Russell was named to the John Mackey Award preseason watch list and the East-West Shrine Game watch list.

During his career at Colorado, Russell had 67 receptions for 709 yards and three touchdowns, but he went undrafted and signed with the Eagles before being claimed off waivers by the Seahawks in September 2023. Playing in 15 games after being claimed, he contributed seven tackles on kick and punt coverage teams as a rookie, emerging as a fun surprise for the team. A foot issue cost him six games in 2024, but he bounced back nicely in his third season with the team, contributing 14 tackles and a fumble recovery on special teams while splitting action with Robbie Ouzts as a fullback, a role he should continue to see action in this season.

Best Case Scenario: Along with continuing to work with tight ends, Russell’s natural athleticism and positional flexibility proves to suit him well as a fullback in Brian Fleury’s iteration of the Shanahan offense, creating an increase in playing time on offense to go with his extensive special teams work.

Worst Case Scenario: Though his roster spot isn’t in jeopardy as a special teams ace, Russell get phased out of fullback reps while being seldomly used at a deep tight end position, leading to minimal production away from tackles on kick/punt coverage teams.

What to Expect: While he dons a mullet and has a fantastic personality off the field, there isn’t much flash in the pan when it comes to Russell’s game. He’s a blue collar, old school style player who brings toughness, physicality, and grit to the gridiron every time he suits up, and those traits lend themselves best to special teams, where as long as he stays healthy he has proven to be good for at least 10 tackles. There shouldn’t be any roster drama with him because of his elite skills covering kicks and punts along with other special teams duties, with the only real question marks boiling down to how much of a role he carries on offense. With Fleury replacing Klint Kubiak, it’s possible Seattle could prefer a more versatile fullback option, which would bode well in his favor to take some reps from Ouzts. But if he isn’t seeing more work there, the presence of AJ Barner, Elijah Arroyo, and Eric Saubert will likely once again put a hard cap on limited tight end usage, making his value stem near solely in the third phase of the game.

46. Brandon Pili, DT

2025 Stats: 12 tackles, one forced fumble

Growing up in Anchorage, Alaska, Pili played his first three high school seasons at Dimond High School before his family relocated to Portland, Oregon, where he used a strong senior season as a defensive end to earn a scholarship offer from USC. Playing in nine games as a true freshman for the Trojans, he contributed 14 tackles and a blocked field goal, garnering All-Pac 12 Honorable Mention recognition. In the ensuing season, he contributed 12 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss, following up with 18 tackles and five tackles for loss as a junior in 2019.

Due to a shortened COVID season, Pili only played in four games in 2020, giving him another year of eligibility. Unfortunately, he suffered a torn Achilles, causing him to miss the entire 2021 season. He returned to health in 2021 and pitched in a career-best 25 tackles to go with a sack and 3.5 tackles for loss, ending his college career in Los Angeles on a solid note. Though he went undrafted, Pili played in four games as a rookie for the Dolphins and appeared in eight games with the team in 2024 before being cut and claimed off waivers by the Seahawks. Seeing his most extensive action in 2025, he hit double digit tackles for the first time rotating in at nose tackle, earning himself a new one-year contract in March.

Best Case Scenario: With a full season of NFL action under his belt, Pili takes another positive step forward in his development, even showcasing a bit more pass rushing ability from the nose position with a handful of pressures while logging a career-high in snaps and tackles.

Worst Case Scenario: Despite being re-signed in the offseason, Pili quickly finds himself looking in the rearview mirror as seventh round pick Deven Eastern closes the gap on him on the depth chart, opening the year on the 53-man roster before eventually being waived and returning to the practice squad in favor of the rookie.

What to Expect: After not sticking with the Dolphins earlier in his career, Pili stands out as one of the true feel good stories on the Seahawks’ roster coming off a Super Bowl title. While he’s never going to be a defender who stuffs the stat sheet or makes many individual stops on his own, he uses his size and a heavy anchor well eating up single blocks and double teams, serving his responsibility of keeping linebackers behind him clean quite well. Based on the new contract the team gave him at $2 million, he should be rolling into camp feeling optimistic about his odds of sticking around, but the team did invest a pick in Eastern, who offers a different, more dynamic skill set at the nose position while offering a bit more positional flexibility. If the rookie impresses, that could put a lot of pressure on the vet’s shoulders, but even then, he’s the best pure traditional nose tackle on the roster and that still holds enough clout to warrant staying on the 53 in the short term at worst.

Previous 90-Man Rankings

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