Analysis: Ranking Seahawks Biggest Remaining Needs After First Wave of Free Agency
The free agency period isn’t over in the NFL with plenty of players still seeking new homes, but only one week into the new league year, activity has slowed down substantially with most teams either bargain shopping or fully shifting attention to the looming 2026 NFL Draft.
Beginning the quest to defend their Super Bowl title, the Seattle Seahawks expectedly suffered a handful of big losses in the early stages of free agency, including three starters from that championship squad signing elsewhere. But general manager John Schneider fared quite well keeping the backbone of the team together, re-signing or tendering 13 of their 18 free agents, while adding four external free agents on one-year contracts to help fill the new voids to an extent.
Now entering the next stage of free agency as final preparations for the draft get underway, which positions stand out as the Seahawks’ biggest areas of need midway through the offseason? Considering additions, departures, and the state of the depth chart, here are five areas that remain pressing for Schneider to address in coming weeks:
Right Guard
Additions: NoneLosses: NoneFinally prioritizing continuity along the offensive line, the Seahawks will begin their title defense with all five starters from last year’s Super Bowl squad returning. Three of those players - rising star guard Grey Zabel and tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas - are under contract for at least the next three seasons together, while center Jalen Sundell will only be a restricted free agent next spring and has two more years of affordable club control. With offensive line coach John Benton returning as well, that core should be working in tandem for the foreseeable future, leaving only one question mark for 2026 and beyond as right guard Anthony Bradford enters the last year of his rookie contract.While Bradford has his share of detractors within the fan base, it’s tough to argue with the clear improvements he made during his third NFL season for Seattle. Per Pro Football Focus, the former LSU standout ranked in the top 10 among qualified guards in fewest sacks allowed and Pass Block Efficiency rate from Week 10 through Week 18, coinciding with the team going 8-1 during that span. In the playoffs, he had more trouble, including surrendering six pressures in the Super Bowl, and he still has a tendency for his bad reps to be downright ugly with balance and lunging issues. Just 25 years old, he won’t be battling for his job this time around against the likes of Christian Haynes or Bryce Cabeldue, and there’s still a chance the franchise could try to re-sign him to a second contract after a strong finish to last season. But bringing viable competition to push him or even a successor on board through the draft should be on Schneider’s checklist to address the “weakest link” in the trenches.
Defensive Tackle
Additions: NoneLosses: NoneWith Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II, and Jarran Reed all under contract for 2026, it’s hard to call defensive tackle a “need” for Seattle, per se. But both Williams and Reed are now on the wrong side of the 30 and “Big Cat” will be entering the final year of a three-year contract he signed before the 2024 season. Even with Murphy already on the star track, similar to the EDGE spots, there’s a dearth of experience behind the talented trio. On the plus side, nose tackle Brandon Pili re-signed on a one-year deal, bringing back much-needed size in the middle of the defensive line. After recording his first career sack in the Super Bowl, expectations will be high for 2025 fifth round pick Rylie Mills to take on a bigger piece of the piece as well.However, Pili won’t be an option beyond early downs and short yardage, while Mills likely slots in as a 3-tech for the majority of his snaps. Adding another big body to the equation remains a significant need with undersized, unproven second-year players in J.R. Singleton and Bubba Thomas being the only other nose tackles on the roster. Schneider has courted veterans later in free agency several times in the past to fill such a roll and he could do it again this summer, even waiting until after the draft to do so. But this may also be the year to take advantage of a class with a lot of 320-plus pound defensive tackle prospects to identify a versatile defender who can play multiple alignments and be developed behind Williams and company with a bigger role in mind down the line.
Running Back
Additions: Emanuel WilsonLosses: Ken Walker IIICompared to last season, or even the past three years, for that matter, no position group will look more different than Seattle’s backfield come September. Receiving a record-setting free agent contract for a running back, Walker took his talents to Kansas City after winning Super Bowl LX MVP honors, a departure further magnified by Zach Charbonnet’s recovery from a torn ACL suffered in January that likely will extend into October, if not longer. Without their two primary backs from last year’s title run, George Holani may be the biggest benefactor, as he has earned an opportunity for an expanded role by performing well in limited opportunities on offense and as a core special teamer. Kenny McIntosh will also be back from his own torn ACL and should be ready at some point during the offseason program, looking to pick up where he left off after a strong finish to the 2024 season.But neither Holani nor McIntosh has started a single game in the NFL and as for the rest of Seattle’s returning backs, Cam Akers hasn’t started a game in nearly two years and the duo of Velus Jones and Jacardia Wright have fewer than 30 combined regular season carries between them. Wilson, who the team signed away from the Packers on a one-year deal, has flashed as Josh Jacobs’ primary backup the past two seasons, but he also has very limited starting experience and has never eclipsed 510 rushing yards in a season. While Schneider seems to have plenty of confidence in the players currently under contract, it seems like a pretty safe bet the Seahawks will draft a back with one of their three picks in the first three rounds seeking a long-term successor for Walker, potentially as early as No. 32 overall if Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price or Arkansas star Mike Washington Jr. remain in play.
EDGE
Additions: NoneLosses: Boye MafeAtop the depth chart, the Seahawks still have plenty of talent and experience at the EDGE positions, as Uchenna Nwosu and Derrick Hall will both return and Demarcus Lawrence looks set to play another season despite earlier retirement speculation. Those three players feature contrasting skill sets that complement one another quite well and provide a quality arsenal for Macdonald’s defense, especially if Hall can round back into his sophomore season form when he nearly hit double digit sacks. There’s a chance Nwosu could receive an extension after finally beating the injury bug that dogged him in 2023 and 2024, which would provide a little more clarity at the position beyond 2026.Still, with Mafe taking a big multi-year deal with the Bengals, there’s a major drop off in talent and experience behind Nwosu, Hall, and Lawrence, a trio with two players entering the final year of their contract along with Lawrence’s uncertain future. Second-year defender Connor O’Toole played in 11 regular season and playoff games, mostly seeing the field on special teams as he produced seven tackles on kick and punt coverage along with a fumble recovery. But he has a grand total of 28 defensive snaps to his name. Fellow sophomore Jared Ivey only suited up for two games and played 15 total defensive snaps, while Jamie Sheriff spent the entire season on the practice squad. In other words, there’s fewer than 50 regular season snaps on the depth chart behind the Big 3, making the need for reinforcements a significant one. Drafting an EDGE early seems likely, if not inevitable, and adding another seasoned veteran such as Von Miller or Cameron Jordan to the mix would be a wise move to make as well.
Cornerback
Additions: Noah IgbinogheneLosses: Riq WoolenBy retaining Josh Jobe to pair with Devon Witherspoon, the Seahawks still have two quality starters in the secondary, but there’s nothing but questions behind them. While he clearly has talent and untapped potential, the 26-year-old Igbinoghene has bounced around the league with three teams in six seasons, only starting more than 10 games once in that span, failing to live up to his first round billing while having more healthy scratches than starts in his initial stint with the Dolphins. Third-year defender Nehemiah Pritchett has been hit-and-miss in limited action since coming on board as a fifth round draft pick in 2023, struggling mightily in a loss to the Buccaneers last season before delivering two key pass breakups in a blowout win over the Cardinals one month later, creating uncertainty about whether or not he can be a starter.As things stand, even after signing Igbinoghene and bringing back veteran Shemar Jean-Charles, Seattle doesn’t have another cornerback on the roster away from Witherspoon and Jobe who has been a full-time starter at any time in the NFL. And they only have five players currently rostered at the position. The draft will be the primary path for Schneider to potentially land a third starter with this year’s crop of cornerbacks standing out as a major strength in the 2026 class, including possibly picking one at No. 32 overall in the first round, but more depth will need to be added before then. Former Ravens/Titans veteran Jalyn Armour-Davis could be one possibility, as he played for Macdonald in Baltimore and started in Alabama’s secondary at the college level across from Jobe, giving him unique familiarity on multiple fronts.
