Takeaways From Day 1 of Seahawks’ 2026 Rookie Minicamp

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Seattle Seahawks running back Jadarian Price takes a handoff from running back coach Thomas Hammock during the team’s first rookie minicamp session. Credit: Corbin Smith/Emerald City Spectrum [/caption]

Launching their NFL careers by taking the practice field for the first time, the Seattle Seahawks’ latest 2026 draft class kicked off the next phase of the team’s offseason program with the first of two rookie minicamp sessions at the VMAC on Friday.

What stood out from the first practice for the Class of 2026? Here’s a few notes from the facility as rookies begin to get acclimated to their new surroundings:

1. Speed, quicks, and sculpted arms on early display for first round pick Jadarian Price.Until the pads come on several months down the road, fans will have to wait to truly see what juice Price brings to the Seahawks’ backfield as the heir apparent for Ken Walker III. But as far as first impressions go in a non-contact OTA-like May practice, he looked the part of a first round pick amongst his peers.Whether taking handoffs from new coach Thomas Hammock in individual drills or plucking a pass from one of the tryout quarterbacks donning retro 90s practice jerseys, Price demonstrated the smooth running style and explosiveness moving in and out of his cuts that made him one of the top running back prospects in the 2026 draft class. Not one who appears to miss an arm day in the weight room either, a chiseled upper body conjured up memories of former back Robert Turbin, an early sign that he might just be able to shoulder the load with Walker in Kansas City and Zach Charbonnet recovering from a torn ACL.Not surprisingly, Price didn’t see much action when Seattle shifted into 11-on-11 team drills, as the team will exercise keeping him in bubble wrap for now, especially until he officially signs his rookie contract. In the work he did participate in, however, it’s not hard to see why the coaching staff and front office were enamored by his talent.
2. John Benton appears to have a plan in place for Beau Stephens in the trenches.While running backs can at least show off their athletic burst in non-contact drills, no position may be more difficult to evaluate in May practices without pads than the offensive line, who will have to wait until August to start popping anything other than blocking sleds or hand-held blocking dummies. From a physicality standpoint, nobody will be setting themselves apart right now.With that said, these early practices still carry tremendous importance for incoming rookie linemen acclimating to a new scheme with new terminology and a new set of coaches. Drafted in the fifth round after the Seahawks dealt away a future 2027 pick to trade back into Day 3, Stephens told reporters afterward that he wasn’t sure where he’d be playing at. But in Friday’s session, he spent the entirety of the practice working from the right guard spot, which shouldn’t come as a surprise with All-Rookie team selection Grey Zabel entrenched as the starter on the left side and incumbent Anthony Bradford entering the final year of his rookie contract.“He seems very similar to my offensive line coach at Iowa, and I can appreciate that,” Stephens said of his first exposure to Benton. “He's someone that I can definitely relate with, the way he teaches. Obviously, it's been, what, 24 hours that I've been with him, so I don't know everything. But for right now, what I've said is I'm very appreciative of how he's gone about it, and it seems like he's got a plan for me. He hasn't told me it yet, but I have a feeling I can trust him.”If the Seahawks stick to their usual formula, Stephens won’t go through OTAs and the offseason program without some work at left guard, as Benton has always valued versatility and interchangeability along the offensive line. As a rookie joining a line with all five starters returning and former draft picks Christian Haynes and Bryce Cabeldue still on the roster, such positional flexibility may be imperative to stand out in what should be quite the competition for a handful of spots come training camp.But after giving up a future draft asset to jump back into the fifth round for him, there’s no question Stephens’ only pathway to a starting spot in 2026 and beyond lies on the right side. Benton already appears to understand that and the rookie will be provided a chance to grow in that spot with the goal of turning up the heat on Bradford to bring out his best or finding a long-term successor.
3. A previous connection sets up energized Julian Neal to hit the ground running in secondary.Among the most fun stories to come out of draft weekend, Neal didn’t receive caps for all 32 teams on time for the festivities as expected. Knowing ahead of time that he wouldn’t have the chance to pick from the full lot, his aunt went to the store and bought him a Seahawks cap, in part due to her own fandom of the team for more than a decade.But it wasn’t just his aunt’s fan card that led to a Seattle cap being the one that wound up in his home when Day 2 of the draft kicked off, as he seemed to become a Seahawk even before he transferred from Fresno State to Arkansas last summer. As he weighed his options, a conversation with Razorbacks cornerback coach Nick Perry, who had been on Mike Macdonald’s staff in 2024 as an assistant, ultimately played a major role in his choice to go to Fayetteville.“Literally since day one when I went on my visit, he told me, ‘yeah, and if you come here, I know a coach on the Seahawks. They do all the same. I do all the same techniques he does, I learned from him,’” Neal said after Friday’s practice. “I'm on zoom with coach and especially on my formal visit at the combine, I was telling him everything that they did…. I showed him everything that they did. And, you know, after that, we just had so much chemistry. So I'm like, yeah, this is perfect.”From there, as Neal acknowledged, Neal’s connection with the Seahawks only grew stronger in the pre-draft process. Taking the practice field for the first time, he felt right at home with the drills defensive backs coach Karl Scott being ones he had already done at Arkansas, and while he will have some new terminology to learn, the techniques being preached are second nature to him, giving him a significant advantage as he starts off his NFL journey.Most importantly, that familiarity helped quickly thwart the expected pre-first practice jitters rookies typically experience, ensuring he’s going to play fast and play comfortable right out of the gate.“It was a dream come true. I was super nervous coming out, and then once I got out there, I just realized, like, I play football. I do this every day. It's my life.”
4. Rookies weren’t the only ones looking to get off to a fast start in a new offseason, with one absence of note.Though the minicamp rightfully has “rookie” in the title with most of the players on the field being new to the NFL, either as a draft pick, undrafted signee, or a tryout prospect, Price, Stephens, and Neal had company from a handful of returning veterans who did not accrue a season during Seattle’s Super Bowl run last season.Offensively, 2025 seventh round pick Ricky White III snagged several passes during team drills on Friday, as he aims to improve his chances of jumping onto the 53-man roster this season after spending the entirety of his rookie year on the practice squad. The former UNLV star has a lot riding on his performance this summer, as the arrival of sixth round pick Emmanuel Henderson Jr. will put extra pressure on him with both players being lauded for their special teams talents and potentially battling for one roster spot this summer replacing departed free agent Dareke Young.Snapping next to Stephens, second-year center Federico Maranges was the only eligible offensive lineman from last year’s team who could participate in rookie minicamp, while receiver Montorie Foster Jr. returned to the field for the Seahawks after being on injured reserve all of last season.Defensively, the Seahawks will get a closer look in coming days at second-year safety Maxen Hook, who joined the team off waivers from the Eagles last fall and played with seventh round pick Andre Fuller at Toledo. Along the front seven, EDGE rusher Jalan Gaines has an interesting opportunity in front of him after the team brought him back on a future/reserve deal in January, as his burst as a speed rusher could help his cause as a candidate to help replace Boye Mafe’s production, while linebacker Chris Paul Jr. and defensive tackles J.R. Singleton and Bubba Thomas all practiced after being on the practice squad throughout 2025.While Hook, Gaines, and the rest of the aforementioned defenders will receive much-needed reps over the two-day camp, the same cannot be said for cornerback Tyrone Broden, who the Seahawks announced had been switched to defense after playing receiver as a rookie last year. Despite being eligible to practice this weekend and having an obvious need for on-field work learning a new position, he was not included on the roster, which may be related to an injury issue after he was seen with crutches at the Super Bowl parade back in February.