Seahawks Wrap Up 2026 NFL Draft With Trio of Seventh-Round Selections
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Minnesota defensive lineman Deven Eastern (91) tackles Wisconsin running back Tawee Walker (3) for no gain during the fourth quarter of their game at Camp Randall Stadium Friday, November 29, 2024 in Madison, Wisconsin. Minnesota beat Wisconsin 24-7. [/caption]
Stocking up on seventh round picks with a pair of Day 3 trade downs, the Seattle Seahawks put a bow on their latest draft class by getting a jumpstart on the priority undrafted free agent process, selecting a trio of players with the 236th, 242nd, and 255th picks of the 2016 NFL Draft.
After acquiring picks from the New York Jets and Green Bay Packers with trade downs from 188th and 216th overall, the Seahawks continued to add to their secondary by snagging Toledo cornerback Andre Fuller and Arizona cornerback Michael Dansby while also investing a mid-seventh round pick on versatile Minnesota defensive tackle Deven Eastern to wrap up their eight-player haul.
Starting the draft with just four picks and making three selections in the first three rounds on Thursday and Friday, Seahawks general manager John Schneider went into aggressive move moving up and down the board on Saturday, initially trading a 2027 fourth-round pick to the Browns to draft Iowa guard Beau Stephens at pick No. 148 in the fifth round. He later turned a sixth round selection at 188 into a pair of seventh round draft choices used to pick Fuller and Dansby.
Previously visiting with Seattle on an official 30 visit, the 6-1, 200-pound Fuller began his college journey at Arkansas Pine Bluff before transferring to Toledo, where he saw snaps as a boundary corner, slot cornerback, and a safety. In his final season with the Rockets, he allowed a paltry 42% completion rate and only one touchdown in coverage with an interception and nine pass breakups while adding 49 tackles, earning First-Team All-MAC recognition. He could be a candidate for a hybrid cornerback/safety role out of the gate.
Nabbing a third cornerback after picking Julian Neal in the third round and Fuller earlier in the seventh round, Dansby started his college career at San Jose State before finishing with a single season in Arizona. Primarily playing on the boundary, he enjoyed a strong lone year with the Wildcats, yielding a 36% completion rate with two interceptions and seven pass breakups. He also played gunner on special teams at both schools, which will serve as a major asset for him trying to vie for a roster spot.
In the trenches, Eastern started for the Golden Gophers for parts of three seasons, logging over 600 snaps as a nose tackle and 3-tech defensive tackle while also seeing a few snaps as a big base defensive end. He contributed as both a run stuffer and a pass rusher, including producing 32 pressures and 4.5 sacks in his final two years against Big Ten competition, and should be in line to compete at multiple positions on a stacked Seattle defensive line.
Finishing with eight selections, Schneider has now made at least eight picks in 16 of his 17 NFL Drafts with the Seahawks, with a three-pick haul in 2021 being the only exception.
