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# Takeaways From Day 2 of Seahawks’ 2026 Rookie Minicamp
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/takeaways-seattle-seahawks-day-2-rookie-minicamp-2026/
- Published: 2026-05-03T01:07:01.000Z
- Updated: 2026-05-03T01:07:01.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Jadarian Price, Jalan Gaines, Ricky White III, Tyrone Broden, Chris Paul Jr.

RENTON, Wash. - Wrapping up Phase 1 of their offseason program, the Seattle Seahawks conducted the second of two rookie minicamp sessions at the VMAC on Saturday, providing another opportunity for Mike Macdonald and the coaching staff to take a close look at their new incoming draft class, signed undrafted free agents, and a host of tryout players.

As is always the case this time of year with more than half of the participants not being under contract and trying to earn a contract with an NFL team, the vast majority of those who wore helmets over the past two days won’t be back with the Seahawks. But as Macdonald pointed out moments after the practice wrapped up, that doesn’t always mark the end of the journey either, as those who put their best foot forward could be on speed dial when injuries and/or personnel changes on the 90-man roster strike in coming weeks and months.

“Definitely. Everyone's on a different timeline,” Macdonald remarked. “I think they understand that, and that's part of the messaging too. We've had several guys that have come back in camp or even after camp or after the season. We've had a couple of examples of that too. Jalan Gaines is a guy that comes to mind that's with us now after not being with us at the end of the season. Just keep plugging away, trying your best. Don't worry about the count or timing or all that, but trust the process.”

Out on the field on Friday and Saturday to take advantage of extra reps, Gaines - a second-year EDGE out of Illinois State - tried out in rookie minicamp last spring and wasn’t on Seattle’s roster for most of the 2025 season, but the team re-signed him to a future/reserve deal in January. Over a course of a long season, teams have to bring in reinforcements, and a positive showing this weekend could make all the difference for whether a player gets another shot or not.

What stood out from the second rookie camp session at the VMAC? Here are four takeaways from Saturday’s finale:

**1\. Seahawks “hit their goals,” with the landmark not necessarily being the same for every player who suited up.**

In early May, coaches have a limited scope to work with when it comes to evaluating talent, as practices feature strict rules prohibiting contact and actively making plays on the ball, among other things. In other words, until the pads come out during training camp in a couple of months, the practices that transpire on the field this time of year don’t closely resemble the real games that will be played in August.

Still, for wide-eyed rookies such as cornerback Julian Neal making the jump from college to the professional ranks, rookie minicamp presents a crucial stepping stone. After previously only seeing them on film in the scouting process, Macdonald and the coaching staff get a chance to put eyes on their newest draft picks and undrafted signees on the field for the first time as they begin acclimating to how Seattle conducts an NFL practice. As for the players, they start to build invaluable chemistry between the lines and in the locker room with other rookies and a handful of returning veterans eligible to practice, which has been crucial to the franchise’s recent success.

Standing out as one prime example, Neal and fellow rookies Andre Fuller and Michael Dansby began their first chapter as Seahawks diving headfirst into a new playbook and new system together, which should give them a positive head start for when the veterans rejoin them later this month.

Over the next few days, the Seahawks may also have some difficult decisions to make with their 90-man roster as well, as Macdonald and general manager John Schneider have swapped out undrafted signings for tryout players on multiple occasions over the past few years. Players who excelled this weekend on a tryout basis may be next in line if they outperformed the previously signed competition and impressed coaches.

“I think we hit our goals,” Macdonald said. “We have different agendas for different guys. The guys we know are going to be here, I think we did a great job. They have kind of an understanding about how we operate here now, and it's good to get a look at them and get a plan together while they're out of the building so they can come back and be ready next week. That's really important. Then to go through it with these tryout guys, there's some talented guys that we'll be interested in, and we'll be a better team for it.”

**2\. Part by design and part by nature of minicamp, Jadarian Price getting plenty of early run as a receiver.**

Without any semblance of physicality, it’s impossible to gauge the run game during spring practices beyond blockers getting to the correct target points and running backs showcasing their athleticism running past half speed defenders who can’t tackle them. Away from the fundamentals component, that means Macdonald and his staff will have to wait until the real bullets start flying in August to see how Price meshes with new coordinator Brian Fleury’s offense.

With that said, while Price only saw a couple of carries in team drills on Friday and Saturday with most of his work coming in individual drills and during ACT - standing for Alignment, Communication, and Technique - walkthrough periods without helmets on, the first round pick out of Notre Dame saw his share of passes from a trio of tryout quarterbacks out of the backfield. With the exception of a drop on Saturday, he looked plenty comfortable as a receiver, not letting the ball get to his frame and plucking the ball out of the air with his hands before turning upfield looking for extra yardage with his elite burst.

When asked about Price seemingly being quite involved in the passing game this weekend, an area of his game that has been under the microscope given limited usage as a receiver at Notre Dame, Macdonald smiled, insinuating that was likely a consequence of the OTA-style practice setup and the Seahawks not putting the ball in his hands for many rush attempts against “live” defenses as a precaution to keep him upright and avoid an unnecessary May injury.

“It's not like an extra point of emphasis,” Macdonald said. “I think because of camp, probably more space plays rather than keeping him in traffic. Just trying to be smart on how we utilize him in this camp, but getting off to the right start. Did a good job. It's definitely part of our offense.”

When the Seahawks reconvene later this month for on-field OTAs with vets back in the building, it will interesting to see how active Price becomes as a target out of the backfield for Sam Darnold, Drew Lock, and Jalen Milroe. But if Macdonald’s comments over the course of the offseason can be taken at face value, he hopes to see the backs become more involved in the passing game in general this upcoming season, and this weekend could be a precursor for that.

**3\. Converted receiver Tyrone Broden will indeed have a shot at cornerback - once he’s healthy, that is.**

Allowed to practice due to not accruing an NFL season as practice squad members in 2025, the Seahawks had several “veterans” who participated in at least one of the two rookie minicamp sessions. Receiver Ricky White III, a seventh round pick from 2025 out of UNLV, linebacker Chris Paul Jr., who arrived off waivers from the Rams a year ago, and the aforementioned Gaines all participated, taking advantage of extra reps and time with coaches.

Among those who would have been eligible to suit up, just two days after Seattle announced he would be switching from wideout to cornerback and changed jersey numbers to No. 31, the 6-5 Broden wasn’t listed on the team’s minicamp roster. As it turns out, that wasn’t because the player didn’t want to take part and benefit from an early start at his new position, but instead due to an ongoing recovery from an undisclosed injury suffered late in the 2025 season.

Confirming Broden would indeed be making a positional change to the defensive side of the ball, Macdonald didn’t want to put a timetable on how long it would take for the player to adjust to the new role, acknowledging it will take time before the team knows if he can pull off the transition or not. But with his size, athleticism, and ball skills, the Seahawks were intrigued by the possibility of trying him out as a boundary cornerback, where he may have a better chance to compete for playing time with the team currently being loaded at receiver with Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed headlining a stacked corps.

“We loved his movement ability, and he's got ball skills and he competes. He's got a great attitude. We felt like it could translate to being a heck of a DB one day,” Macdonald explained. “He's dealing with some health things right now in terms of his timeline on when he can get back on the field. So right now we're not exactly sure when that's going to happen, but he's in meetings, and he's got a great spirit about him. We're excited about it. It's going to take some time, but he's a great guy for the job.”

If Broden does succeed and eventually find his way on the field as a cornerback, based on Pro Football Reference charting, he would be the tallest cornerback in NFL history. But while being that tall may raise some question marks about his viability to play the position, Macdonald doesn’t share that sentiment, seeing the physical tools and mentality necessary to hold his own in the secondary.

“He can bend really well. He's not just a straight legged 6-foot whatever,” Macdonald added. “He can move and get in and out of breaks. His lateral quickness is really good. He's a great special teams player. He's a great gunner. Those are traits that you look for in defensive players. So we think that's going to translate.”

**4\. Even if he doesn’t receive a contract, Myles Rowser will have a special moment to cherish forever.**

For a large chunk of the players who huddled up to break it down as a team at the end of Saturday’s practice, there unfortunately won’t be a next time, illustrating the tough reality for most college prospects who wind up going undrafted. But for one player in particular, no matter what happens with his career path moving forward, former Arizona State safety Myles Rowser will have quite the story to share with friends and family on what turned to be the highlight play of Seattle’s rookie minicamp.

Ex-Mississippi State quarterback Blake Shapen faked a handoff to running back Miles Davis and rolled out to his left off the play fake, identifying an open receiver in Carl Chester running a crosser over the middle. While he made the right read, however, Shapen’s throw sailed on him and Chester could only manage to get a fingertip on the pass, which ended up fluttering into Rowser’s opportunistic hands as he found himself in the right place at the right time for the interception.

While the offensive players obviously couldn’t tackle Rowser even if they wanted to, it may not have mattered, as he had a running start when he reeled in the pick with a few teammates out in front and sprinted to the end zone for a touchdown as players and coaches from the defensive sideline sprinted to swarm him. Making such a play doesn’t guarantee he will get a call from Macdonald and company offering him a contract, but it certainly helped his cause, and he can now proudly proclaim that he scored a touchdown in a Seahawks uniform regardless of whether he gets a longer look in Seattle or not.