Ranking Seahawks by position group heading into NFL draft | Analysis
As the Seahawks enter the 2026 NFL draft, their needs seem relatively few and exceedingly obvious.
With all but five players who saw action in the 29-13 demolition of the New England Patriots in Super Bowl LX returning in 2026, the Seahawks can rightfully state they have a roster as stout as any in the NFL.
The only significant holes are those left by four key players who departed in free agency - running back Kenneth Walker III, safety Coby Bryant, cornerback Riq Woolen and rush end Boye Mafe. They signed at least one external free agent at each spot except rush end to help fill the void.
As the NFL draft approaches next week, those four positions loom as the obvious question marks when assessing the Seahawks' strengths and weaknesses.
But how do all the position groups look? Let's review with our annual ranking of the Seahawks' groups heading into the draft.
1. Interior defensive line: The Seahawks return their top three interior D-linemen from last season - Leonard Williams, Byron Murphy II and Jarran Reed - as well as key backups Mike Morris and Brandon Pili. They'll get a chance to see a full season out of second-year player Rylie Mills, who could see time on the edge but is likely to see more of his snaps inside and appears ready to become a regular member of the rotation. The only concern might be if age starts to catch up to Reed (33) and Williams (who turns 32 in June).
2. Quarterback: Sam Darnold answered every question about his ability to lead a team to the promised land last season. Drew Lock remains under contract, giving the Seahawks an experienced backup. They will hope for improvement from Jalen Milroe in year two as they adjust to what figure to be minor tweaks in the scheme made by new coordinator Brian Fleury, combining to make this potentially one of the better QB groups in the NFL.
3. Specialists: Kicker Jason Myers is coming off a record-setting season, punter Michael Dickson remains among the best in league history and they re-signed snapper Chris Stoll to a two-year contract to keep the kicking battery intact.
4. Tight end: AJ Barner turned in one of the best receiving seasons for a tight end in team history (52 catches, 519 yards, six TDs) and should only get better in year three. Elijah Arroyo should contribute more in year two, and Eric Saubert proved the perfect complementary third tight end last season and signed a new deal late in the year to keep this group intact. Brady Russell can also help out here too, if needed, though he is officially a fullback.
5. Safety: True, Bryant is gone. But Julian Love and Nick Emmanwori return and they retained Ty Okada, who started 11 games last season and seems ready to step in for Bryant. They brought back D'Anthony Bell, who proved a steady backup for 15 games last season, signed former Colts starter Rodney Thomas II and re-signed A.J. Finley, who was battling for the third safety spot before a knee injury last August. The Seahawks might draft a safety to add to this group, but it might not be the priority some on the outside view it as.
6. Inside linebacker: Starting middle backer Ernest Jones IV has two years left on his contract and starting weakside backer Drake Thomas just signed a two-year contract. Tyrice Knight also has two years left on his rookie deal as a backup at each spot and they re-signed Chazz Surratt to again potentially be the fourth player at this spot.
7. Offensive line: The Seahawks enter 2026 with as stable of a situation at offensive line as they've had in the general manager John Schneider era with all five starters returning - all playing most or all of a Super Bowl-winning season - with both tackles (Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas) under contract for at least three more years. Every backup, notably reliable veteran Josh Jones and third-year center Olu Oluwatimi, also returns. The Seahawks could be tempted to draft an interior lineman if someone lands in their lap they aren't expecting on day two or three. But for the first time in a long time, they don't seem under any pressure to have to add to this group in the draft.
8. Cornerback: Devon Witherspoon is as good as there is in the NFL and likely to sign an extension before the season to assure his long-term future, while Josh Jobe signed a three-year deal. The loss of Riq Woolen creates some questions about depth, which the Seahawks seem likely to address in the draft.
9. Receiver: It speaks to the overall strength of the roster that the Seahawks could have the best WR in the NFL in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and yet fall to this spot in our rankings. But there are some lingering questions about this position despite the return of everyone who played last season other than Dareke Young. Cooper Kupp turns 33 in June, Tory Horton needs to prove he's past the shin injury that cost him the second half of last season and they need to get more out of Rashid Shaheed as a receiver after signing him to a three-year, $51 million deal.
10. Rush end: Mafe had only two sacks last season, but he was far more effective in creating pressure than that stat indicates and he was solid against the run. While the team has said DeMarcus Lawrence is expected back in 2026, he turns 34 later this month, raising the obvious question about whether age could begin to catch up to him. Uchenna Nwosu and Derick Hall return, but the depth is unproven, one reason that many expect the Seahawks could look to take an edge rusher with their first-round pick. The right pick could vault this position group.
11. Running back: The loss of Super Bowl MVP Walker and that Zach Charbonnet might not be back until midseason makes this unquestionably the biggest question mark on the roster this offseason. But the Seahawks have made clear they still plan to address it - maybe with their first-round pick. The right selection could turn this spot from question mark to looking good entering camp and that much better once Charbonnet returns.
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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 4:53 PM.