Analysis: Which 2022 Draftees Will Seahawks Re-sign Following Charles Cross Extension?
[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="5773"]
Seattle Seahawks safety Coby Bryant (8) stands outside the tunnel during player introductions against the San Francisco 49ers at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images [/caption]
Giving fans another reason to celebrate just one day after clinching the NFC West title and earning a top seed in the playoffs, the Seahawks locked down franchise left tackle Charles Cross with a massive four-year, $104.4 million extension, solidifying their offensive line for the foreseeable future and inking their top pick from a heralded 2022 draft haul.
With Cross now under contract through 2030 and fellow tackle Abraham Lucas signing a new deal in September, the Seahawks have five players still on the roster from their 2022 draft class who will all be scheduled to become unrestricted free agents when the new league year opens in March, leaving plenty of decisions to make for general manager John Schneider and the front office in coming months.
Looking at Seattle’s 2022 draft class, in the aftermath of Cross’ mega-extension, which players on the final year of their rookie contract have the best chance of returning for a second contract with the organization? Here’s a close look at why each of the five remaining unsigned draftees from that class will be extended, why they won’t be, and a prediction for how the franchise will proceed with their respective deals:
Boye Mafe
Why He’ll Be Extended: Though his sack numbers haven’t impressed in his fourth season, Mafe has remained an effective pass rusher off the edge in Mike Macdonald’s defense, often creating sack opportunities for teammates with his burst working upfield and turning the corner on opposing tackles. He currently ranks sixth on the team with 40 quarterback pressures with north of an 11% Pass Rush Win Rate and two batted balls at the line of scrimmage. Still a rock solid run defender as well, he has exhibited marked improvement as a tackler, cutting his missed tackle rate to a career-low 6.5% in 2025 after posting a dreadful 20% miss rate last season.
Why He Won’t Be Extended: At the end of the day, aside from nearly hitting double digit sacks in a breakout 2023 campaign, Mafe hasn’t produced near enough in regard to impact plays. Despite playing in all 17 games, he only recorded two sacks this season, and that’s not the only area where is numbers have slipped. He also generated career-lows in quarterback hits (four) and tackles (31) while barely beating out his rookie year production with just four tackles for loss. Compared to the rest of the league, he ranked 48th in pressures and outside the top 50 among qualified edge rushers in Pass Rush Win rate.
Prediction: Teams tend to splurge and overpay on pass rushers in free agency, and since he has been more productive in the past and still has youth on his side at 27 years of age, Mafe likely will have a strong market if he hits free agency in March. With Uchenna Nwosu’s future in question and Demarcus Lawrence being 33 years old, the Seahawks could choose to bet on him believing his best numbers remain ahead of him by offering $15 million per year or slightly more on a multi-year deal. But at the same time, paying that price for the diminished pass rushing contributions over the previous two seasons with other key players needing contracts likely will be too rich. Seattle could bring him back after he tests the market, but it’s hard to envision the team rushing to overpay before free agency begins.
Ken Walker III
Why He’ll Be Extended: Enjoying the healthiest season of his NFL career, Walker played in all 17 games for the Seahawks, rebounding from a tough 2024 season with his second 1,000-yard season in the league. Tying for the best yards per carry average (4.6) in his four years in Seattle, the former Michigan State standout forced 61 missed tackles, the fifth-best total among backs in the league, while also torching opponents with 33 runs of 10-plus yards, ranking sixth overall in that category. Further demonstrating his elite explosiveness, he ripped off 18 designed runs of 15 or more yards, the third-most behind only De’Von Achane and Derrick Henry, along with posting the fourth-best breakaway rate (38.8%).
Why He Won’t Be Extended: Due to the limited shelf life at the position, running backs don’t receive lucrative second contracts as much as most position groups in the NFL and while Walker did bounce back nicely in 2025, he has a somewhat lengthy history of injuries dating back to the start of his career in Seattle. As a do-it-threat, his numbers took a step back in the passing game this year, dipping down to 31 receptions after hauling in 46 in fewer games in 2024. The Seahawks also have Zach Charbonnet waiting in the wings for a chance to take over as the bell cow back after scoring 12 touchdowns this year, making it less pressing to invest big bucks on retaining both starter-caliber backs.
Prediction: Possessing elite speed and quickness, Walker’s skill set ended up being a far better fit in Klint Kubiak’s system than the one he struggled in last year with Ryan Grubb calling plays, and the vast improvements on the offensive line helped re-unlock his breakaway capabilities. With more space to operate, he proved to be a major catalyst late in the season as Seattle pushed towards an NFC West title averaging over 160 rushing yards per game in the final three weeks. But like Mafe, especially given his injury history and the position he plays, it seems unlikely Schneider will rush to the negotiating table outbidding himself, and this could be a case where the Seahawks make an initial offer before letting the player test his value in the open market and potentially revisiting a reunion. This truly feels like a 50/50 proposition.
Coby Bryant
Why He’ll Be Extended: A full-time starter at safety for the first time, Bryant re-emerged as a turnover-creating machine on the back end even without Julian Love next to him for much of the year, intercepting four passes to rank second on the team behind linebacker Ernest Jones while also forcing a fumble in a Week 11 loss to the Rams. Adding two pass breakups and a 12% forced incompletion rate, he finished 12th among safeties yielding a 78.4 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks and only gave up 17 completions in 15 starts. In the past, he has been an effective blitzer and logged significant snaps at slot cornerback, offering the positional interchangeability the Seahawks covet in the secondary.
Why He Won’t Be Extended: Bryant has dealt with his share of injuries throughout his career, including his sophomore season turning into an unofficial redshirt shirt campaign playing in just six games and sitting out the last two games this year with a knee injury. Though he did surpass 60 tackles in each of the past two seasons, he has been inconsistent at best as a tackler ever since coming into the league out of Cincinnati, as PFF charged him with north of a 20% missed tackle rate in 2025 and all three of his previous seasons featured 10% or higher missed tackle rates.
Prediction: Now with a full season and a half under his belt as a starter with seven interceptions in that span, Bryant has done more than enough on the field to justify a multi-year contract, and Macdonald holds him in the highest regard, frequently bringing up his name unprompted for his practice habits and work ethic. However, the stellar play of Ty Okada, who started 13 games total in place of Love and Bryant this season and remains under club control at an affordable price for at least one more season, could complicate the situation. Since Macdonald likes to deploy three safety looks and loves everything about the player, it’s still a possibility for an extension to be worked out before free agency, but he could be a victim of his own success in a safety group offering great depth with many other players seeking new contracts and he likely will draw significant interest elsewhere in March.
Riq Woolen
Why He’ll Be Extended: When Woolen plays fully locked in and focused, few cornerbacks have been better over the past four years. As a rookie, he led his position group with six interceptions to earn Pro Bowl distinction, and though he wasn’t as consistent in 2023 or 2024, he still ranked in the top 10 among cornerbacks in interceptions (three) and forced incompletion rate (16 percent) while being just outside the top-10 in completion rate allowed. This year, even with rumors of a potential trade at the deadline after some missed opportunities earlier in the season, he has turned in another solid campaign with eight pass breakups, an interception, a 57% completion rate allowed, and only three touchdowns given up, consistently making plays on the football.
Why He Won’t Be Extended: Looking at his career holistically, Woolen has given up 17 touchdowns over four seasons, far from an ideal number with coverage lapses known to be part of the equation from time to time. In each of the previous three seasons, he has been sent to the bench at some point stemming from inconsistent play and/or undisclosed broken team rules, which isn’t a good sign for a player trying to earn a new contract. Macdonald wants reliable players on the field who won’t make mental mistakes and always play zoned in with toughness and physicality, and to this stage, despite being as gifted as any corner in the sport, consistency has eluded him, including as a tackler where he has missed more than 18% of his career attempts.
Prediction: Cornerbacks cashed in last free agency period, including Derek Stingley - a member of the same draft class as Woolen - becoming the highest-paid player at the position. Woolen posted comparable numbers with the same interception total (11), more tackles, and more forced fumbles than his counterpart in their first three seasons, but he has also surrendered five more touchdowns in coverage and has not been near as effective bringing down ball carriers in space. Two months ago, it seemed inevitable that the Seahawks would move on after the 2025 season, especially with fellow cornerback Devon Witherspoon set to begin negotiating for a new contract in the spring. With that said, Macdonald has had strong comments of support for Woolen in recent weeks and he allowed one touchdown in Seattle’s final seven games. Improvements across the board and rare size/speed specs leave the door open for a new contract, but if he hits free agency, he’s likely gone with other teams ready to throw the bag at his traits.
Dareke Young
Why He’ll Be Extended: Despite very limited contributions on offense with five career catches on his resume, Young has been one of Seattle’s best special teams players when healthy in four seasons, recording 21 combined tackles on kick and punt coverage. He also added kick returning to his repertoire this fall, returning 10 kicks for 322 yards and a fantastic 32.2 yards per return average, and could be a part of the team’s plans in that capacity under the new rules with two returners always on the field.
Why He Won’t Be Extended: In parts of four seasons, Young has been targeted a grand total of seven times in the passing game with five catches for 83 yards as a irrelevant non-factor on offense, utilized mostly as a blocker on that side of the ball. He has also struggled to stay healthy, missing most of his second season on injured reserve and sitting out eight games this season with a quad injury.
Prediction: Since he has not surfaced as much of a contributor on offense, there’s little reason to consider a multi-year extension for Young and he’s probably not going to be a top priority to re-sign before free agency begins in March. However, he has been a core special teams player throughout his NFL career and coordinator Jay Harbaugh unlocked his potential as a kick returning weapon this year, adding even more value on that front. Unlikely to garner much interest early in free agency, the Seahawks should be in a good position to bring him back on an affordable one-year deal if they wish, and it would be a bit of a surprise if he’s not back in 2026.
