Seahawks Attack Lingering Needs in Post-Free Agency Mock Draft
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Indiana Hoosiers D'Angelo Ponds (5) intercepts the ball over Washington Huskies wide receiver Denzel Boston (12) during the second quarter at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images [/caption]
The new NFL league year hasn’t even hit the week mark yet, but free agency already has slowed to a relative crawl after signings were announced in bunches during the annual two-day tampering period, meaning the Seattle Seahawks and all 32 teams have already shifted their attention primarily back to the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft.
As things stand, after dealing away a fourth and fifth round pick to the Saints for Rashid Shaheed last October, the Seahawks currently hold only four picks in the draft. Three of those selections are on the first two days, however, providing the ammunition for general manager John Schneider to be able to potentially facilitate a deal or two to slide down the board and recoup a few extra picks on Day 3, where the team doesn’t have a fourth, fifth, or seventh round pick at the moment.
In the past, Schneider has been as active as any executive in the sport navigating the draft board via trade, including trading up to land safety Nick Emmanwori last April. Given his track record, it would be a stunner if Seattle doesn’t make more than four selections, and at least one trade down seems probable, if not inevitable.
Looking towards the draft, which now sits a mere six weeks away, how may things shake out for Schneider and the Seahawks in the aftermath of the first few waves of free agency? Featuring a pair of trades with the Bengals and Falcons that added a trio of new picks to the team’s draft capital treasure trove, here’s my latest stab at projecting Seattle’s 2026 draft haul:
Round 2, Pick 41 - Gabe Jacas, EDGE, Illinois*
*Acquired via trade with Bengals in exchange for picks No. 32, No. 96
The latest in a long line of defensive talent to come out of Champaign, Jacas saw action early in his career for the Fighting Illini, registering four sacks in both his freshman and sophomore seasons before breaking out in 2024. Doubling his tackle total to 74, he racked up eight sacks, three forced fumbles, and 13 tackles for loss, garnering Third-Team All-Big Ten honors. Taking his game to yet another level as a senior, he tallied 11 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles as Illinois spent much of the 2025 season ranked in the top 25, receiving First-Team accolades from the media.
Offering plus size for the position at 6-4, 260 pounds with 33-inch arms, Jacas doesn’t win with elaborate counter moves or leaning much on finesse, but he constantly bullied the Big Ten’s best with impressive lower body power, jarring hands, and a relentless bull rush, excelling at turning speed into power to collapse the pocket on quarterbacks. He can be a dominant edge setter against the run both with his hand in the dirt and as a two-point standup defender, though he still has an occasional lapse in contain that will need to be shored up at the next level. He only benched at the NFL combine and overall athleticism remains a question mark heading into his pro day, but from a pure football standpoint, he’s as polished as any edge in this draft and could jump right in to replace Boye Mafe in Seattle’s rotation on Day 1.
Round 2, Pick 61 - D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana*
*Acquired via trade with Bengals in exchange for picks No. 32, No. 96
A catalyst for the most dramatic turnaround by a program in Division I history, Ponds came to Bloomington as one of several James Madison transfers who followed coach Curt Cignetti and immediately emerged as one of the Big Ten’s best all-around players. After being named Freshman All-American for the Dukes in 2023, he recorded 57 tackles and three interceptions for the Hoosiers, helping lead them to an unexpected College Football Playoff berth before bowing out in the opening round against Notre Dame. Named a First-Team All-American as a junior, he anchored a dominant Indiana defense with 61 tackles, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a defensive touchdown, guiding the program to their first National Championship title.
Though lacking in the size department at 5-9, 182 pounds with sub-30 inch arms, Ponds fights well above his weight class across the board. As instinctive of a corner as can be found in this year’s class, he excels at reading the eyes of quarterbacks and undercutting routes to make plays on the football, particularly in zone drops. He will scrap at the catch point playing from the boundary or in the slot, including on downfield throws against larger receivers, leaning on his explosiveness and leaping ability to compensate for physical limitations. He’s also a feisty tackler who more than happily mixes it up flying downhill to take on running backs and blow up screens on the perimeter. His diminutive build may force him to play inside exclusively and casts questions about durability, but if he was a little bigger, he’d be a surefire first round candidate with his on-field skills. He screams plug and play in Mike Macdonald’s defense next to Devon Witherspoon and Josh Jobe.
Round 3, Pick 79 - Mike Washington Jr., RB, Arkansas**
**Acquired via trade with Falcons in exchange for pick No. 64
Well-traveled during his collegiate journey, Washington began his career at Buffalo, spending parts of three seasons with the program without ever being the full-time starter for the Bulls. His best season in western New York came as a sophomore when he rushed for 625 yards and seven touchdowns, but after seeing a dip in playing time the following year, he transferred to New Mexico State, rushing for 725 yards and eight touchdowns in a platoon with future Kentucky starter Seth McGowan. With one year of eligibility remaining, he jumped into the SEC with the Razorbacks and shined against top competition, rushing for 1,070 yards and eight touchdowns while averaging a gaudy 6.4 yards per carry and snagging 28 passes to put himself on the NFL radar.
As demonstrated at the NFL combine with a 4.33 40-yard dash time, Washington can fly for a back weighing in north of 220 pounds, and that speed became a greater weapon for him at Arkansas, as he ripped off 17 runs of 15-plus yards and posted an impressive 48% breakaway run rate that ranked sixth in the nation among qualified backs. More fast than quick, he’s not as sudden shifting gears in space as some other top backs in this year’s class and he doesn’t always play to his size from a physicality standpoint when it comes to bowling over defenders or breaking tackles. Still, he averaged 3.86 yards per carry after contact, exhibiting the ability to prolong runs with a bruising style in spurts while having the wheels to bust out the explosives. He will have to show marked improvements as a pass protector to become a three-down back, but the Seahawks would be a fine landing spot for him as a potential replacement for Ken Walker III in Brian Fleury’s zone-centric scheme.
Round 5, Pick 188 - Fernando Carmona Jr., G, Arkansas
Beginning his college journey at San Jose State, Carmona redshirted as a freshman before breaking into the starting lineup in 2022, starting 24 games at left tackle for the Spartans over the next two seasons. After impressing against Group of 6 competition, he transferred to Fayetteville, where he endured a sporadic first season with the Razorbacks as the blindside protector facing the SEC’s best pass rushers, yielding 22 pressures and five sacks. Looking to mask his length deficiencies, he slid inside to left guard as a senior and turned in a stellar final season at Arkansas, cutting his sacks allowed to one and receiving Second-Team All-SEC distinction from league coaches.
Play strength-wise, Carmona doesn’t always play to 316 pounds, as opponents can get into his narrow frame and he becomes exploitable at the edges, particularly against strong counter moves. His accuracy firing his hands at the point of attack leaves room to be desired as well, as he has a tendency for his hands to leak out wide and has had issues with holding penalties in the past. But he’s a fluid mover whose background as a fleet-footed left tackle became a major asset in the zone run game at Arkansas, evidenced by his stellar 76.8 zone run blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, and that mobility shows up more times than not mirroring opponents in pass protection with nimble footwork. He would have to adjust to playing on the right side in Seattle, but his athleticism and SEC pedigree could make him an intriguing competitor to pit against incumbent Anthony Bradford as a Day 3 selection.
Round 5, Pick 189 - Eli Heidenreich, WR, Navy*
*Acquired via trade with Bengals in exchange for picks No. 32, No. 96
Surfacing as a rare pass catching dynamo in the Midshipmen’s triple option offense, Heidenreich became known as the Navy’s version of Christian McCaffrey after he burst onto the scene as a breakout sophomore in 2023. He averaged 20 yards per reception that season while scoring five total touchdowns, giving a taste of his dual-threat capabilities. Over the next two seasons, he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards with a 6.65 yards per carry average, eclipsed 1,500 receiving yards while averaging close to 18 yards per catch, and found the end zone 18 total times as a rusher and receiver, garnering Second-Team All-American honors.
Weighing in at 198 pounds, Heidenreich looks like he could be blown over by a stiff wind, but he plays with plenty of physicality and regularly finished his runs and receptions with authority. Most of his damage on the ground came via jet sweeps in Navy’s offense, as he didn’t get many carries as a conventional running back. Still, he has enough burst and athletic juice to be able to occasionally be utilized in that capacity at the NFL level running on the perimeter with a chance to see some backfield action as well. He likely will be a receiver for the most part in the league, offering over the top capabilities with toughness catching over the middle, though his lack of reach could be a problem for throws that aren’t fully on target. He’s still a developmental player as a route runner and will need to carve out a role on special teams early, but the Seahawks can afford to be patient with him after re-signing Rashid Shaheed.
Round 6, Pick 197 - Andre Fuller, CB, Toledo**
**Acquired via trade with Falcons in exchange for pick No. 64
Following the footsteps of Eagles All-Pro cornerback Quinyon Mitchell, Fuller took the mantle as the Rockets’ latest shutdown defender on the boundary. After playing his first two seasons at FCS school Arkansas Pine Bluff, he transferred to Toledo, where he started two games in 2022 and 2023 before a core muscle injury prevented him from playing a single snap in 2024. Rebounding nicely as a senior last season, he allowed opposing quarterbacks to complete under 43% of their targets against him with nine pass breakups and an interception, adding 49 tackles for good measure as he earned First-Team All-MAC recognition.
Offering above average size for the cornerback position, Fuller measured in at 6-1, 200 pounds at the NFL combine, running a rock solid 4.49 40-yard dash. That long speed doesn’t always show up on his film, however, as he surrendered three receptions of at least 35 yards last season with receivers occasionally getting behind him and struggling to recover. But he compensates for that lack of elite burst with physicality at the line of scrimmage as a steady press defender, redirecting receivers off the line and controlling the rep early, allowing him to stay in the hip pocket and create with his length in passing lanes for breakups. He made significant improvements as a tackler during his senior season and continuing to grow in that regard will be key to succeeding at the next level. The Seahawks currently don’t have much size at corner after losing Woolen and Fuller would be a natural developmental fit on the boundary with a shot to see snaps early.
Round 7, Pick 231 - Nick Barrett, DT, South Carolina**
Playing parts of five seasons with the Gamecocks, Barrett wasn’t known for stuffing the stat sheet as a playmaker along the defensive line and often was overshadowed by the rest of the talent in the trenches, but he served his role as a space eater quite well in helping teammates make plays for a steady South Carolina run defense. In his first four years on campus, he contributed 30 combined tackles and an interception as a rotational reserve. As a senior, he showcased improvements shedding blocks and making more plays on his own, pitching in a career-best 42 combined tackles with the first two sacks of his career and six tackles for loss while adding a fumble return for a touchdown.
Boasting a thick, burly 312-pound frame with a powerful lower body and barrel chest, Barrett looks the part of an NFL nose tackle, and for the most part, he plays as expected given his build. He understands how to win the leverage battle and regularly absorbed double teams up front, keeping teammates behind him clean to make plays. He capped off his college career with more tackles of his own, but it’s questionable whether that will translate much to the next level with below-average quickness and agility to corral ball carriers after shedding blocks. He also shouldn’t be counted on to provide much punch as a pass rusher without the twitch to regularly push the pocket. But his physicality and play strength should create an opportunity for him to carve out a role as a two-gapping space plugger, something the Seahawks could certainly use depth-wise in the middle.
