Stock Watch: Examining Seahawks Post-Draft Winners, Losers
Now more than a week removed from the 2026 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks have gotten a first look at their newest draft class via rookie minicamp, and the offseason program will soon kick into full overdrive with Phase 2 opening next week.
At this point, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider haven’t gotten to see first-round pick Jadarian Price and the rest of the 2026 class on the field with returning veterans from their Super Bowl LX-winning squad. But that will soon change as on-field workouts ramp up to the next step and Organized Team Activities (OTAs) eventually open on May 26, providing the rookies with a chance to start gunning for starting jobs and roster spots.
With rookies soon to be thrown into the fire battling against seasoned veterans, which returning players and coaches stood out as the biggest winners coming out of the NFL Draft for the Seahawks? And who needs to keep a focused eye on their rearview mirror with objects being closer than they appear?
Winners
Sam Darnold
Even before the draft, Darnold already could have been viewed as one of Seattle’s biggest offseason winners after marrying his fiancée, adding another ring to his growing collection. But on the field, the Seahawks gave their franchise quarterback a new backfield weapon in Jadarian Price to hand the ball of to and help lessen the impact of Ken Walker III’s departure, which should help keep the pressure off of his shoulders with the running game remaining viable in offensive coordinator Brian Fleury’s scheme and provide another quality check down option to create after the catch with further development of the rookie’s passing game tools.
In addition, the Seahawks further reinforced the offensive line protecting Darnold with the selection of guard Beau Stephens, who may be granted an opportunity to push Anthony Bradford right away on the right side. At worst, his arrival will improve depth for when seemingly inevitable injuries strike, but there’s also enough talent in the former All-American to believe he could become a quality starter in time, providing a fine insurance option for a front line that has four other starters under club control through at least 2027. Life looks pretty good for the former top-five pick these days.
Young EDGEs
Prior to the draft, many pundits viewed EDGE as one of Seattle’s most glaring needs following the free agent departure of Boye Mafe and continuing questions about Demarcus Lawrence’s future. Beyond that, Uchenna Nwosu and Derrick Hall will be entering the final season of their respective contracts, which creates a real possibility that all four of the team’s top outside linebackers from the Super Bowl LX squad could be gone by the end of 2026. Still, even with those questions, Schneider didn’t use any of his eight picks at the position, and Macdonald mentioned the presence of Jared Ivey, Connor O’Toole, and Jamie Sheriff after the draft, giving each player a vote of confidence by saying they were ready for a bigger opportunity late last season and simply were on the wrong side of the numbers game.
As things stand, Lawrence isn’t expected to retire and should return for a second season with the Seahawks, while Nwosu and Hall will be back in action regardless of whether either receives an extension this summer. That trio remains a formidable one, but there’s a reason why the team continues to be linked to Dante Fowler Jr. and other veterans who remain unsigned. It would be a major surprise if an experienced EDGE isn’t signed in coming weeks, whether that is Fowler or someone else. But even if a move does happen, without an incoming draft pick as part of the competition, there should be a spot in the rotation up for grabs between Ivey, O’Toole, Sheriff, and even Jalan Gaines, with the victor possibly having a significant role on Sundays helping replace Mafe.
Karl Scott
Players aren’t the only ones who can benefit from an incoming draft class, and aside from maybe Macdonald himself with six of the eight selections being defensive players, nobody should reap the rewards more than Scott. After being bypassed for multiple defensive coordinator jobs during the latest coaching cycle, the well-respected assistant will return for a third season as pass game coordinator with a bunch of new toys at his disposal, starting with ball-hawking safety Bud Clark. The second-round pick offers many of the same skills as Coby Bryant, who left for Chicago in free agency, and his experience playing in the slot as well will open up plenty of possibilities for Scott scheming things up on the back end.
Away from Clark, Scott also has three new cornerbacks to groom in the defensive backfield, with each offering different size specs and traits. Third-round pick Julian Neal, the self-proclaimed “most physical” corner in this year’s draft class, packs a mean punch as a run defender and loves to get after it at the line of scrimmage pressing receivers, while seventh round picks Andre Fuller and Michael Dansby have their own unique strengths. The former has similar size to Neal at 6-1, 200 pounds and excelled at taking away deep balls at Toledo as a sound fundamental cover corner, while the latter yielded under a 36% completion rate as a senior at Arizona thanks to lightning quickness and sticky coverage. All three players come to town as projects in their own right, but being able to mold the balls of clay as he sees fit should be an exciting premise for Scott as he continues to build his resume pursuing a promotion in the future.
Losers
Kenny McIntosh
Honestly, it could be argued that Price’s selection at No. 32 overall negatively impacted every other running back on Seattle’s roster, and veteran Cam Akers already took the worst of it by being released immediately after the draft. Velus Jones Jr. also shifted back to receiver full time, at least based on the latest updated roster, appearing to take him out of the running for reps in the backfield. But with Schneider and Macdonald both gushing about George Holani’s performance in the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl all offseason long and 230-pound thumper Emmanuel Wilson ready to fill Zach Charbonnet’s shoes until the veteran returns from a torn ACL, McIntosh may truly be the one hurt most by the rookie’s arrival.
For one, McIntosh still has work left to do as he continues to recover from his own ACL injury that cost him the entire 2025 campaign. To this point, Schneider and Macdonald’s updates have been lukewarm at best on his progress. Secondly, Price offers a similar slashing running style that meshes well with a zone-centric rushing attack, only with more size, speed, and explosive playmaking ability. When healthy, McIntosh has performed at a high level, but injuries have been a huge issue for him since coming on board as a seventh round pick in 2024, and even with a well-rounded three-down skill set, Holani appears to be ahead of him on the pecking order at this point and Wilson’s contrasting style better suits him for short-yardage and goal line packages, creating a tough road for the ex-Georgia standout to see the field.
Christian Haynes
Since the Seahawks used a third round selection on Haynes in 2024, the former All-American has not been able to capitalize on multiple opportunities to win a starting job. As a rookie, he and Bradford remained entrenched in a competition that lasted well into the regular season, but he never could gain the upper hand and struggled in limited opportunities come the regular season. Last summer, with a new line coach in John Benton joining the staff, he had another chance to prove himself as a starter at right guard and even got some run snapping the football as a center, but that experiment didn’t bear any fruit with him struggling to get the ball to the quarterback in shotgun sets and falling to third-team reps in training camp.
Now in his third season, it seems unlikely the Seahawks will be opening up a competition at right guard this time around, as Bradford has earned the benefit of the doubt after making significant improvements during the team’s Super Bowl run. This puts Haynes’ spot on the roster in a precarious position. The addition of Stephens immediately gives the team a younger reserve with four years on a team-friendly rookie contract who may already be better than his veteran counterpart coming into the league, while the organization remains high on second-year guard Bryce Cabeldue, who spent most of the 2025 season on the 53-man roster as a reserve. If Haynes wants to stick around past late August, he will have to beat at least one of those players out, which will require him to show substantial improvements as he sits squarely on the hot seat.
Reserve Defensive Backs
While Scott may be basking in the glow of opening late April “Christmas” gifts with three cornerbacks and a safety as part of Seattle’s latest NFL draft haul, those new toys may put a few older ones onto the shelf to accumulate dust in time. Back in March, the Seahawks signed veteran cornerback Noah Igbinoghene and safeties Rodney Thomas and D’Anthony Bell to one-year contracts in free agency. But all three players may now be dealing with a bit of post-signing remorse, as four incoming rookies immediately will turn up the heat on them as they vie for spots in a crowded defensive backfield loaded with experience and young talent. It’s not a given any of those three will last into the regular season, as this could be a Marquez Valdes-Scantling situation all over again with draftees making them expendable.
As for the safety position in particular, Ty Okada’s spot on the roster isn’t up for debate, as the former undrafted signee out of Montana State emerged as a revelation last season and appeared poised to jump into Bryant’s old stead as the third primary safety after excelling in 11 starts last season. However, that increased role may not be in the cards now due to the selection of Clark, who will be in the mix right away for significant snaps both as a free safety and “big” nickel corner. It would be a surprise if Okada still doesn’t play quite a bit in dime sets, especially considering how much Macdonald values his talents and versatility, and he could make life hard on the rookie trying to jump over him. But barring injuries, Clark undoubtedly puts a cap on his ceiling in terms of defensive snaps in 2026, which may end up looking more like last year than another step up the career ladder to a potential starting role.
