Welcome to day two of the 2026 NFL Draft. As soon as the final pick is made today, I will begin an immediate live stream with reaction. In the meantime, I will be updating this post with every pick and you can give your reaction to everything in the comments section.
PLEASE DO NOT TIP PICKS
Round Two
#33 San Francisco — De’Zhaun Stribling (WR, Ole Miss)
#34 Arizona — Chase Bisontis (G, Texas A&M)
#35 Buffalo — TJ Parker (EDGE, Clemson)
#36 Houston — Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State)
#37 NY Giants — Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)
#38 Las Vegas — Treydan Stukes (S, Arizona)
#39 Cleveland — Denzel Boston (WR, Washington)
#40 Kansas City — R Mason Thomas (EDGE, Oklahoma)
#41 Cincinnati — Cashius Howell (EDGE, Texas A&M)
#42 New Orleans — Christen Miller (DT, Georgia)
#43 Miami — Jacob Rodriguez (LB, Texas Tech)
#44 Detroit — Derrick Moore (EDGE, Michigan)
#45 Baltimore — Zion Young (DE, Missouri)
#46 Tampa Bay — Josiah Trotter (LB, Missouri)
#47 Pittsburgh — Germie Bernard (WR, Alabama)
#48 Atlanta — Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson)
#49 Carolina — Lee Hunter (DT, Texas Tech)
#50 NY Jets — D’Angelo Ponds (CB, Indiana)
#51 Minnesota — Jake Golday (LB, Cincinnati)
#52 Green Bay — Brandon Cisse (CB, South Carolina)
#53 Indianapolis — CJ Allen (LB, Georgia)
#54 Philadelphia — Eli Stowers (TE, Vanderbilt)
#55 New England — Gabe Jacas (EDGE, Illinois)
#56 Jacksonville — Nate Boerkircher (TE, Jacksonville)
#57 Chicago — Logan Jones (C, Iowa)
#58 Cleveland — Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (S, Toledo)
#59 Houston — Marlin Klein (T, Michigan)
#60 Tennessee — Anthony Hill Jr (LB, Texas)
#61 LA Rams — Max Klare (TE, Ohio State)
#62 Buffalo — Davison Igbinosun (CB, Ohio State)
#63 LA Chargers — Jake Slaughter (C, Florida)
#64 Seattle — Bud Clark (S, TCU)
Round Three
#65 Arizona — Carson Beck (QB, Miami)
#66 Denver — Tyler Onyedim (DT, Texas A&M)
#67 Las Vegas — Keyron Crawford (EDGE, Auburn)
#68 Philadelphia — Markel Bell (T, Miami)
#69 Chicago — Sam Roush (TE, Stanford)
#70 San Francisco — Romello Height (EDGE, Texas Tech)
#71 Washington — Antonio Williams (WR, Clemson)
#72 Cincinnati — Tacario Davis (CB, Washington)
#73 New Orleans — Oscar Delp (TE, Georgia)
#74 NY Giants — Malachi Fields (WR, Notre Dame)
#75 Miami — Caleb Douglas (WR, Texas Tech)
#76 Pittsburgh — Drew Allar (QB, Penn State)
#77 Green Bay — Chris McClellan (DT, Missouri)
#78 Indianapolis — AJ Haulcy (S, LSU)
#79 Atlanta — Zachariah Branch (WR, Georgia)
#80 Baltimore — Ja’Kobi Lane (WR, USC)
#81 Jacksonville — Albert Regis (DT, Texas A&M)
#82 Minnesota — Domonique Orange (DT, Iowa State)
#83 Carolina — Chris Brazzell (WR, Tennessee)
#84 Tampa Bay — Ted Hurst (WR, Georgia State)
#85 Pittsburgh — Daylen Everette (CB, Georgia)
#86 Cleveland — Austin Barber (T, Florida)
#87 Miami — Will Kacmarek (TE, Ohio State)
#88 Jacksonville — Emmanuel Pregnon (G, Oregon)
#89 Chicago — Zavion Thomas (WR, LSU)
#90 San Francisco — Kaelon Black (RB, Indiana)
#91 Las Vegas — Trey Zuhn (G, Texas A&M)
#92 Dallas — Jaishawn Barham (LB, Michigan)
#93 LA Rams — Keagen Trost (T, Missouri)
#94 Miami — Chris Bell (WR, Louisville)
#95 New England — Eli Raridon (TE, Notre Dame)
#96 Pittsburgh (via Seattle) — Gennings Dunker (G, Iowa)
#97 Minnesota — Caleb Tiernan (T, Northwestern)
#98 Minnesota — Jakobe Thomas (S, Miami)
#99 Seattle — Julian Neal (CB, Arkansas)
#100 Jacksonville — Jalen Huskey (S, Maryland)
If you missed my write-up on the Jadarian Price pick last night, click here.
The Seahawks addressed the running back position. Now, the key is to come away with an edge rusher and at least one defensive back today.
I’ve updated my horizontal board with the drafted players removed:
There are 17 players with firm second round grades or higher on my board and 37 players I would be prepared to take at #64. There should be some good options available when they’re next on the clock.
If there are more surprises, such as additional quarterbacks being drafted, the Seahawks might feel comfortable trading back from #64. That’s something to keep an eye on.
I still think Keyron Crawford could be a key target. The GPS data we have on him shows he is tremendously quick over 10 yards (16.4mph — the fastest of the available options). He also had the largest number of high-speed plays (17) — measuring any play where he reaches 16mph.
They need speed in their rush and Crawford is a ball of clay waiting to be moulded.
I have 11 defensive end or edge rushers graded in the third round or higher. They will have alternative options here and can use the depth to their advantage.
Cornerback remains loaded, with 14 players graded before round three. I think they can find an extremely productive corner at #64 and possibly even #96.
It might be that there are great options remaining at the end of round two and people understand why Jadarian Price + the player they get is a better combo than Colton Hood or Brandon Cisse and hoping a running back lasts to #96.
I have six safeties graded in round three or higher, so this might be a trickier position to address — yet clearly the likes of Treydan Stukes, Bud Clark, AJ Haulcy, Jalon Kilgore and Emmanuel McNeil-Warren could be intriguing in this defense.
Other options could include a linebacker, with the excellent Josiah Trotter recently visiting Seattle. Iowa duo Gennings Dunker and Beau Stephens could be in play.
I do think the needs will match value though and they’ll continue to address the areas they need to fill. Remember, in the 2014 off-season they lost Golden Tate and Breno Giacomini in free agency after winning the Super Bowl. They cut Chris Clemons to save money.
They drafted Paul Richardson, Justin Britt and Cassius Marsh with their first three picks — directly replacing what they lost.
They replaced Ken Walker with their top pick last night. Today, I would imagine the priorities will be replacing Boye Mafe and Riq Woolen.
I’m going to try and explain in this piece why the Jadarian Price pick makes sense. I think, if you read it to the end, you might end up agreeing.
Firstly, let’s go to the data on ‘big plays’. They selected Price to fill the void left by Ken Walker in terms of explosive running ability for their offense. There was nobody more equipped to do this than Price, once his Notre Dame team-mate Jeremiyah Love was selected third overall by the Cardinals.
Let’s start by looking at explosive run rates for the 2025 college football season. This measures the percentage of +10 yard runs a player has within their total running attempts:
Jadarian Price – 21.2% Jeremiyah Love – 19.6% Mike Washington – 18% Emmett Johnson – 14.3% Kaytron Allen – 14.3% Kaelon Black – 14% Jonah Coleman – 12.7% Roman Hemby – 11.3% Nick Singleton – 9.7% J’Mari Taylor – 9.5%
The average rate over the last decade for running backs entering the league is 16%. As you can see, only three players are ‘above average’ and many of the big name backs in this class are significantly below that mark.
Price is #1 ahead of Love. So right off the bat, that helps explain why he was attractive to the Seahawks.
How does Price’s rate compared to previous highly-drafted Seahawks running backs? See for yourself:
His 21.2% mark is right in their wheelhouse. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that he appealed to them as an attractive option to replace what they lost with Ken Walker.
Now let’s look at missed tackles forced rate. This is also important. How do you turn a +10 yard run into a long scoring run? By making people miss.
Jadarian Price — 28.3% Jeremiyah Love — 28.1% Emmett Johnson — 27.1% Kaytron Allen — 27.1% J’Mari Taylor — 24.8% Rashul Faison — 24% Jonah Coleman — 23.6% Seth McGowan — 21.1% Noah Whittington — 20.9% Demond Claiborne — 20.7% Mike Washington Jr — 20.4% Adam Randall — 19% Jam Miller — 16.9% Roman Hemby — 16.1% Kaelon Black — 16.1% Le’Veon Moss — 15.6% Nicholas Singleton — 15.3% Chip Trayanum — 12.6%
Once again, Price is at the very top of the class — ahead of his team-mate Love. Also, for the second time, his rate of 28.3% compares favourably to former high draft picks at the position:
I wrote a piece two weeks ago specifically noting the importance of making people miss. Here’s what I wrote about Price:
Watch this collection of clips from Jadarian Price. Notice how consistently he slips through contact and then when in space, is able to make people miss. This is particularly the case when he gets outside and is faced with one tackle to beat to reach either the corner of the end zone or to break contain to get a first down:
Price will drop a shoulder, fake-out the defender and then pivot to quickly change direction to juke away from attempted tackles. This is how you make good runs great runs. This is the difference between finding a way to score and getting tackled just short. He clearly has a knack for making people miss, eluding tackles and extending runs. The data and the tape show this.
It’s pretty clear that Price is well equipped to provide the spark they lost when Walker departed. Why is that important? I don’t think they are able to come back against the Rams in week 16 without Walker at least keeping them in it with a 55-yard touchdown run to start the second half. In the post-season, Walker had the most +10 yard runs (9), the most yards after contact (211), the longest run (30 yards) and the most first downs (17).
You might ask, why not just keep Walker then? It’s quite simple. His cap-hit for 2026 is $5.7m but it elevates to $18.7m for 2027 and 2028. Price’s cap-hit will be approximately $2.6m as a rookie and by year four, he will only cost $4.6m.
That is a hugely significant thing to consider given the status of the Seahawks. They have just set records with a new contract for Jaxon Smith-Njigba and will inevitably pay Devon Witherspoon a massive extension soon. They paid Charles Cross a few months ago. In 12 months they might pay big money to Byron Murphy and Sam Darnold. Derick Hall is also entering the final year of his deal.
You have to find savings somewhere. Yes, they have invested a first round pick at running back and people will obsess about the use of that asset. What this does, however, is give them an opportunity to replace Walker adequately at a majorly reduced price. This is critical when you have so many players set to be paid big money. Cash and cap-space is not limitless in the NFL.
Running backs drafted in this range typically offer two things — early impact and cheap contracts. That’s also what they needed, along with the big plays.
Meanwhile, on the field, if your running game can remain super-charged, you will continue to complement your defense and be highly competitive.
People might point to the lack of positional value. I think you need to consider how weak this draft is overall. For example, when I spoke to Drew Fabianich the Senior Bowl Executive a few weeks ago, he admitted that the cornerback group was full of #2 types. Included were Chris Johnson and Colton Hood. If a cornerback doesn’t have the potential to be a #1 corner, is that really any more worthy of a first round pick than a good running back?
I liked Emmanuel Pregnon a lot. Is swapping him to right guard again, for a shot to replace Anthony Bradford, really any more worthy of the investment? And they brought Kayden McDonald in for a visit. They did their homework — and several other teams with far bigger needs at defensive tackle passed on him too.
Most teams stack their board with number gradings. When you have players bunched together, you typically use ‘need’ as a tie-breaker. That isn’t reaching per se, it’s simply how you make decisions. It’s why most teams typically address perceived needs throughout round one.
I want to finish with this. I don’t cite a ton of sources. I have been able to cultivate a few contacts over the years though. After all, my full-time job is a Senior Journalist for the BBC.
One of my sources is an extremely well respected, successful executive and talent evaluator. When I spoke to that individual a few weeks ago, unprompted, he brought up Jadarian Price. He told me Price, “can be special” and that he had size, toughness and vision — adding that his hip flexibility was a big positive.
The source said he was built to be a good pro and could even be better than Jeremiyah Love, potentially. He felt he was explosive and a more ‘typical’ NFL styler runner than Love.
When I asked for ranges, the answer I got was that Love would go early in round one (he did) and that Price would be an early second round pick (he pretty much was). After that, the feeling was no other running back would go until the late third round at the earliest.
The Seahawks could ill-afford to hope for the best at the position later on, miss out and be left ringing Najee Harris next week. If they’d been able to trade down and acquire more stock, perhaps they could feel more confident that someone like Jonah Coleman or Mike Washington Jr would be easier to acquire?
With so many trade-ups happening late in the first, it’s possible the offers ran out. At least the reasonable offers.
If they believed Price was the real deal, they had to consider him once they knew they were staying at #32. The data proves he was the explosive, big-play runner they needed — and the cost saving at the position fits where they are financially.
There is ample depth at defensive back and pass rush for day two.
Even if Price wasn’t your ideal scenario at the start of round one, the pick the Seahawks made at #32 made sense.
If you missed my instant reaction stream discussing the pick, check it out below. I’ll be doing another stream immediately at the conclusion of day two:
Welcome to round one of the 2026 NFL Draft. As soon as the final pick is made, I will begin an immediate live stream with reaction. In the meantime, I will be updating this post with every pick and you can give your reaction to everything in the comments section.
PLEASE DO NOT TIP PICKS
#1 Las Vegas — Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana)
#2 NY Jets — David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech)
#3 Arizona — Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame)
#4 Tennessee — Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)
#5 NY Giants — Arvell Reese (EDGE, Ohio State)
#6 Kansas City (v/CLE) — Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)
#7 Washington — Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State)
#8 New Orleans — Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)
#9 Cleveland (v/KC) — Spencer Fano (T, Utah)
#10 NY Giants — Francis Mauigoa (T/G, Miami)
#11 Dallas (v/MIA) — Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State)
#12 Miami (v/DAL) — Kadyn Proctor (T, Alabama)
#13 LA Rams — Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)
#14 Baltimore — Vega Ioane (G, Penn State)
#15 Tampa Bay — Rueben Bain Jr (DE, Miami)
#16 NY Jets — Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)
#17 Detroit — Blake Miller (T, Clemson)
#18 Minnesota — Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)
#19 Carolina — Monroe Freeling (T, Georgia)
#20 Philadelphia (v/DAL) — Makai Lemon (WR, USC)
#21 Pittsburgh — Max Iheanachor (T, Arizona State)
#22 LA Chargers — Akheem Mesidor (EDGE, Miami)
#23 Dallas (v/PHI) — Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, UCF)
#24 Cleveland — KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)
#25 Chicago — Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)
#26 Houston (v/BUF) — Keylan Rutledge (G, Georgia Tech)
#27 Miami (v/SF) — Chris Johnson (CB, San Diego State)
#28 New England (v/BUF, HOU) — Caleb Lomu (T, Utah)
#29 Kansas City — Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
#30 NY Jets (v/SF, MIA) — Omar Cooper Jr (WR, Indiana)
#31 Tennessee (v/BUF, NE) — Keldric Faulk (DE, Tennessee)
#32 Seattle — Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)
Before getting into my notes, for each day of the draft there will be an open-thread on the blog to discuss the picks as they happen. Then, at the conclusion of each day, I will jump on a live stream. I hope you’ll join us!
Also, for my final horizontal board grading 270 players, click here.
The options at #32
I’m pretty sure the Seahawks will do all they can to trade down (I’ll come back to that in a minute). If they have to stick and pick I think it’s more likely than not to be a defensive back they select.
In yesterday’s mock I noted Chris Johnson and Treydan Stukes as the two players I’m most keenly eyeing for Seattle’s pick. In Daniel Jeremiah’s mock both players are off the board. What would happen then?
I still think it could be a cornerback or safety. Brandon Cisse could go earlier than the consensus. It’s also going to be interesting to see how teams view Avieon Terrell. I just think the value of this class at #32 points to a cornerback or safety being their first selection.
What about Jadarian Price?
The conversation on Price within the media could easily be emulated within draft rooms. A lot of people are torn on where he deserves to be placed in this class.
Daniel Jeremiah thinks he’s the 34th best player. Lance Zierlein has him in a similar range. Yet others see him more as a middle-of-day-two player.
I don’t have a ton of sources. I write a blog at the end of the day. But I have spoken to someone in the league, someone who I think would be universally viewed as an excellent talent evaluator. That individual, when we spoke, brought Price up without prompting and said he was a heck of a player, could be better than Jeremiyah Love and deserved to go in the early second round.
If John Schneider agrees, he might take him at #32. Or after a small move down. The Seahawks need big plays at running back and per the 2025 numbers, Price is #1 in the class for explosive run rate, #1 for missed tackles forced rate and #2 for yards after contact per attempt (behind only Love).
I’m not convinced though. There’s such a small sample size for Price given his backup role at Notre Dame. As I mentioned to Jeff Simmons during our stream last night, quality running backs often last into round two. I like Price — but I don’t think he’s the next Derrick Henry, Jonathan Taylor or Dalvin Cook.
I still think they will seek value later on and I think Jonah Coleman or Mike Washington Jr could be seen as key alternatives.
Trading down opens everything up
If I think a defensive back is arguably most likely at #32, trading down could open things up. It potentially brings the guards into play. There will be defensive linemen who warrant consideration. I think at #32 ‘best player available’ could match one of Seattle’s biggest needs. Later in round two, best player available may not. There will be a lot of options.
What’s a trade-down scenario?
I just have a hard time thinking the Cardinals (or anyone else) will wait until the last pick of the night to go and get Ty Simpson. You either want him or you don’t. Teams in front of Seattle would likely accept the same kind of offer to move down.
A more plausible trade-down scenario for me involves the receivers. If the Jets don’t take a receiver at #16, and if they don’t trade back into round one themselves, they will be an obvious place for a receiver to land.
Teams like the Titans, Raiders, Browns, Saints, Dolphins, Ravens and Falcons theoretically could be in the receiver market. Getting ahead of the Jets could be key if a player they really like lasts.
If you want an attractive trade-down offer, it might be time to root for players like Denzel Boston, KC Concepcion and Omar Cooper Jr to last.
How would a big trade-down help the Seahawks?
If you trade down to #34 you might get a fifth rounder in return. If you move down to #45, you might get a mid-third rounder.
If you don’t want to draft Jadarian Price early but want to make sure you get Jonah Coleman (for example) — having a bonus pick #80 could offer some security there, if you think waiting all the way to #96 is too risky.
If you had #45, #64, #80 and #96 — you also might be able to replace all of the players you lost in free agency in areas of value range. That might be the ideal plan over the next three days. Or, alternatively, that extra high pick gives you the flexibility to draft a player at a non-key need position.
#1 Las Vegas — Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana)
The Raiders will take their quarterback. They have a great offensive-minded coach to help him, a top weapon in Brock Bowers and a highly drafted running back. The key is going to be continuing to build their offensive line to protect Mendoza.
#2 NY Jets — David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech)
It’s been made pretty clear over the last few days that nobody really knows what the Jets are going to do. For that reason, would anyone be shocked if they pull of a surprise here and don’t take Bailey or Reese?
#3 Arizona — Jeremiyah Love (RB, Tennessee)
If the plan is to come away with Love and Ty Simpson, it seems to be what a lot of Cardinals fans are hoping for online. This is a team that needs to generate at least some excitement.
#4 Tennessee — Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State)
There’s a growing buzz that the Titans might prefer Styles over Reese, with the idea he could be a Fred Warner type for Robert Saleh. I’ll say this though — Styles doesn’t play with anywhere near the ferocity of Warner.
#5 NY Giants — Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)
I’m choosing to believe the late smoke over Tyson. I’ve spoken to someone very respectable who said he thought Tyson was clearly the top receiver in this class. Some think he could be a Justin Jefferson type. We’ll see.
#6 TRADE Dallas (v/CLE) — Arvell Reese (LB, Ohio State)
With Reese falling, teams will start calling. The Cowboys give the Browns a third rounder this year and a second rounder in 2027. The future pick seals the deal for the Browns, who move down six spots.
#7 Washington — Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State)
The Commanders can get a weapon later. They won’t be able to add an impact defender like Downs in round three though (they don’t own a second round pick after trading for Laremy Tunsil a year ago).
#8 New Orleans — Rueben Bain (DE, Miami)
Bain is one of the great mysteries of this class. His short arms and 2024 incident will probably mean differing opinions on where you’d be comfortable taking him — so he could last. The Saints haven’t brought back Cam Jordan and might be ready to move on.
#9 Kansas City — Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)
Apparently the Chiefs brought Sadiq into their facility on the same day Travis Kelce was in the building to sign his new deal. I don’t think that’s a coincidence and it might be a tell about their thinking.
#10 NY Giants (v/CIN) — Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)
Cornerback is a big need for the Giants. They let the board come to them at #10. In this instance it works out well and they get the top corner in the draft.
#11 Miami — Francis Mauigoa (T/G, Miami)
The reports about a herniated disc are concerning for his 2026 status. The Dolphins need to bolster their lines. That has to be the priority with their top pick.
#12 Cleveland (v/DAL) — Spencer Fano (T/G, Utah)
There’s been a lot of chatter about the Browns and Kaydn Proctor and he has experience playing at left tackle. Yet Fano is a far cleaner prospect, with no weight question marks, with the athleticism to handle switching over to left tackle.
#13 LA Rams (v/ATL) — Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)
When I spoke to a great source about Tate a few weeks ago, they mentioned that he was a good not great player. Not the quickest, not a big difference maker. I wouldn’t be surprised if he lasts beyond the top-10 or so.
#14 Baltimore — Vega Ioane (G, Penn State)
The Ravens badly need an injection of talent at left guard and Ioane looks and plays like a typical Baltimore lineman. It feels like a great fit, I just wonder whether the Rams take him first.
#15 TRADE Philadelphia (v/TB) — Blake Miller (T, Clemson)
With linemen coming off the board the Eagles make their move. Miller’s explosive testing results are very similar to Lane Johnson’s. I think they’ll be eyeing him up as an heir-apparent at right tackle. The Eagles give up #68 to move up. The Buccs are happy to move down, knowing their targets will be available at #23.
#16 New York Jets (v/IND) — Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)
One of the best players in the draft, Thieneman produced an all-time performance at the combine this year. Every mock has him going to Minnesota but I’m sceptical he reaches that far. Would the Jets snap up the value here? They should.
#17 Detroit — Kaydn Proctor (T/G, Alabama)
Proctor is commonly linked to the Lions and it makes some sense, because they won’t have to move Penei Sewell to left tackle. I worry about Proctor managing his weight. He’s been up around 380lbs at times.
#18 Minnesota — Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
Weeks ago there was talk of Minnesota bypassing defensive backs to go D-line. Then Thieneman-mania took over. When you look at their defensive tackle depth chart right now, it’s absolutely awful. That feels like a tell, even though Woods’ underwhelming 2025 season makes this feel unpleasantly high.
#19 Carolina — Caleb Lomu (T, Utah)
I’ve been saying for a while, based on an educated guess that the Panthers will go O-line here. Rasheed Walker’s contract is a pittance, it’s basically a draft hedge. I think they go left tackle unless Thieneman or Sadiq fall into this spot.
#20 Dallas (v/GB) — Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)
If the Cowboys can move up for a pass rusher or linebacker without giving up #20, this could be a good spot for a cornerback or safety. Hood is a good player — who can mix it up in tight man-coverage situations.
#21 Pittsburgh — Monroe Freeling (T, Georgia)
The Steelers need to rebuild their O-line and Freeling can be worked on for the left tackle spot. He needs to get stronger though — based on his Georgia tape he will get bullied by aggressive NFL defenders.
#22 LA Chargers — Keldric Faulk (DE, Auburn)
It very much feels like a trenches pick for Jim Harbaugh and co. and they need to add to their defensive line. Faulk could play some inside/out for a defense that needs more. They can get a guard in round two.
#23 Tampa Bay (v/PHI) — Akheem Mesidor (DE, Miami)
The 15th pick might be too early for Mesidor but if they can trade back eight spots and get him here instead, it’s more palatable. He is the kind of rusher Todd Bowles has typically had success with.
#24 Cleveland (v/JAX) — Makai Lemon (WR, USC)
Increasingly it feels like Lemon might last deeper into round one than many expected. The combine interviews, plus a little bit of a disciplinary issue at USC that cost him half a game, could come back to haunt him.
#25 Chicago — TJ Parker (DE, Clemson)
The Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo a year ago but he suffered an achilles injury. It stands to reason they’ll look for a bigger, solid edge defender. Faulk would be ideal, TJ Parker and Zion Young are the alternatives.
#26 Buffalo — Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State)
The Bills need to reinforce the interior of their defense. That could mean a pick at defensive tackle or linebacker. With depth at linebacker, they take the excellent McDonald here.
#27 TRADE Arizona (v/SF) — Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)
I think any of the final six picks in round one could be dealt — but if the 49ers are willing to accept the same offer the Seahawks would take at #32, you’re not waiting until the very end of round one. I do think Simpson is a good fit for the offense they’ll run. The Cardinals give up a fourth round pick.
#28 Houston — Chase Bisontis (G, Texas A&M)
I’m not a big fan of Bisontis but appreciate that others like him more than I do. Nick Caserio once drafted Kenyon Green 15th overall and I thought he was bloody awful. Maybe he repeats the act here?
#29 Kansas City (v/LAR) — Max Iheanachor (T, Arizona State)
The Chiefs could go cornerback but they have such a glaring hole at tackle, I can’t help but wonder if they go with Iheanachor here, then pass rush at #40 and just let the depth at cornerback come to them later on.
#30 Miami (v/DEN) — Zion Young (DE, Missouri)
The Dolphins addressed one hole in the trenches early on. Now, they sort another one out with Young. He seems a little bit weird to me and he lacks great burst and speed off the edge. But the Dolphins need some passion and aggression and that’s what he brings.
#31 New England — C.J. Allen (LB, Georgia)
With the defensive linemen off the board here, the Patriots have to pivot. Iheanachor would be an option if he gets by the Chiefs. Allen is another option — just a really solid, forceful, old-school linebacker who might appeal to Mike Vrabel.
#32 Seattle — Chris Johnson (CB, San Diego State)
It’s clear the Seahawks are very open to moving down. Do they get an offer to make it worthwhile? In this scenario I am looking at two names — Johnson and Treydan Stukes. Two very intelligent, high-character individuals who had offers to leave their schools but stuck it out and didn’t transfer. They are both Seahawk types.
Seahawks seven-rounder
I have the Seahawks trading Olu Oluwatimi to the Ravens for a fifth round pick (#154)
#32 — Chris Johnson (CB, San Diego State)
#64 — Keyron Crawford (EDGE, Auburn)
#96 — Jonah Coleman (RB, Washington)
#154 — Dalton Johnson (S, Arizona)
#188 — Carver Willis (G, Washington)
I have watched and graded 270 players for the 2026 Horizontal Board. I’ve written up several of these players during various blog posts and I have 33,474 unpublished notes (I’ll share them on any player the Seahawks draft if I didn’t write about them specifically).
I’ve put more work into this class than any previous years — and I promise to go even further for 2027, in what could be a fascinating class.
This year I’ve been able to add more data analytics to the grading and I want to thank those who were responsible for helping me. I want to thank the incredible Curtis Allen for all of his work. I want to thank Robbie, Adam and Jeff for streaming with me so often. I want to thank the people who helped by taking calls and sharing info and opinions, especially when it challenged my own thinking on certain things.
In particular I also want to thank everyone who is a part of this community.
I started doing this blog in 2008 and the last 12 months have been the best. I hit a new goal with a weekly spot on Seattle radio (and you can check out the latest spot by clicking here). That doesn’t happen without the support of you. Watching this team rise to the Super Bowl, then attending in person, was a life affirming moment for many reasons.
I won’t bore you too much with stuff about my own personal experiences over the years but writing this blog became quite difficult for a period between 2018 and 2023. I didn’t think the team was going in the right direction, I thought they made some poor moves and I wasn’t going to sit and pretend I thought everything was OK just because it’d make my life easier. Some of the abuse, negativity and personal stuff got really nasty at times.
I was never ‘negative for the sake of it’ regardless of what some fans or the Seahawks Reddit page thought. I simply thought Russell Wilson was going to get traded, that they wildly overpaid for Jamal Adams, that they consistently failed to sufficiently address the pass-rush, that they wasted money in free agency too often and that they weren’t going to draft Jalen Carter. I don’t think any of these criticisms were unfair. I’m sure, with hindsight, most people would agree.
I was desperate to be upbeat and the draft classes from 2022 onwards generated major positivity on this blog. I’ve given the Seahawks top grades every year since then. John Schneider has done an outstanding job building up this roster and he now has a staff that is able to capitalise on the work of the personnel department.
Watching the Seahawks win another Super Bowl is something I wasn’t sure we’d experience again. Yet here we are, picking 32nd. The fans are completely united for the first time in a long time.
So we’re nearly at the latest draft and I’m sure the Seahawks will do another good job adding more players who can help drive this team forwards. I hope the board below is useful if you want to use it to follow along. The grades are my opinion and I’ll probably get more wrong than I get right. I’ve done the work though.
I’ll just say again how much I appreciate you all. The great people in the comments who are so respectful to each other. Those of you who support via Patreon and Super Chat, to assist with the growing cost of running this website. To the people who are so generous with their feedback and have helped enable me to gain so much enjoyment from doing this blog.
Tomorrow I will do my final mock draft and I will have a stream with Jeff.
Here is my final horizontal board for the 2026 draft class. This is how I have graded individual players. Those marked in red either have current injuries or reported injury concerns/injury history. Those marked in purple have reported character related issues that would require investigation by a team.
There’s three days to go. Usually I wait until Wednesday to post a final mock draft but I put this together and thought what the heck, let’s stick it out now and see how things might change in 48 hours…
For explanations on the first round selections watch the second half of my live stream (see the video above) where I run through the picks.
Round One
#1 Las Vegas — Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana)
#2 NY Jets — Arvell Reese (LB, Ohio State)
#3 Arizona — Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame)
#4 Tennessee — David Bailey (EDGE, Texas Tech)
#5 NY Giants — Jordyn Tyson (WR, Arizona State)
#6 Cleveland — Kaydn Proctor (T/G, Alabama)
#7 Washington — Carnell Tate (WR, Ohio State)
#8 New Orleans — Mansoor Delane (CB, LSU)
#9 Kansas City — Spencer Fano (T/G, Utah)
#10 NY Giants (v/CIN) — Caleb Downs (S, Ohio State)
#11 Miami — Francis Mauigoa (T/G, Miami)
#12 Dallas — Sonny Styles (LB, Ohio State)
#13 LA Rams (v/ATL) — Vega Ioane (G, Penn State)
#14 Baltimore — Rueben Bain (DE, Miami)
#15 TRADE Philadelphia (v/TB) — Blake Miller (T, Clemson)
#16 New York Jets (v/IND) — Colton Hood (CB, Tennessee)
#17 Detroit — Max Iheanachor (T, Arizona State)
#18 Minnesota — Keldric Faulk (DE, Auburn)
#19 Carolina — Caleb Lomu (T, Utah)
#20 Dallas (v/GB) — Brandon Cisse (CB, South Carolina)
#21 Pittsburgh — Monroe Freeling (T, Georgia)
#22 LA Chargers — Chase Bisontis (G, Texas A&M)
#23 Tampa Bay (v/PHI) — Akheem Mesidor (DE, Miami)
#24 Cleveland (v/JAX) — Makai Lemon (WR, USC)
#25 Chicago — Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon)
#26 Buffalo — Kayden McDonald (DT, Ohio State)
#27 San Francisco — Kenyon Sadiq (TE, Oregon)
#28 TRADE Arizona (v/HOU) — Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama)
#29 Kansas City (v/LAR) — Chris Johnson (CB, San Diego State)
#30 Miami (v/DEN) — TJ Parker (DE, Clemson)
#31 New England — CJ Allen (LB, Georgia)
#32 Seattle — Treydan Stukes (DB, Arizona)
The trades explained…
The Eagles give up #68 to move up to #15 from #23
The Cardinals give up #104 to move up to #28 from #34
Round Two
#33 NY Jets — Denzel Boston (WR, Washington)
#34 Houston (v/ARI) — Peter Woods (DT, Clemson)
#35 Tennessee — KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M)
#36 Las Vegas — Emmanuel Pregnon (G, Oregon)
#37 NY Giants — Christen Miller (DT, Georgia)
#38 Houston (v/WAS) — Jacob Rodriguez (LB, Texas Tech)
#39 Cleveland — Jermod McCoy (CB, Tennessee)
#40 Kansas City — Malachi Lawrence (EDGE, UCF)
#41 Cincinnati — Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson)
#42 New Orleans — Omar Cooper Jr (WR, Indiana)
#43 Miami — Emmanuel McNeil-Warren (S, Toledo)
#44 NY Jets (v/DAL) — Lee Hunter (DT, Texas Tech)
#45 Baltimore — Keylan Rutledge (G, Georgia Tech)
#46 Tampa Bay — Davison Igbinosun (CB, Ohio State)
#47 Indianapolis — Jake Golday (LB, Cincinnati)
#48 Atlanta — Caleb Banks (DT, Florida)
#49 Minnesota — Logan Jones (C, Iowa)
#50 Detroit — Zion Young (DE, Missouri)
#51 Carolina — Bud Clark (S, TCU)
#52 Green Bay — D’Angelo Ponds (CB, Indiana)
#53 Pittsburgh — AJ Haulcy (S, LSU)
#54 Philadelphia — Eli Stowers (TE, Vanderbilt)
#55 LA Chargers — Cashius Howell (EDGE, Texas A&M)
#56 Jacksonville — Jadarian Price (RB, Notre Dame)
#57 Chicago — R Mason Thomas (EDGE, Oklahoma)
#58 San Francisco — Chris Brazell II (WR, Tennessee)
#59 Houston — Gennings Dunker (T/G, Iowa)
#60 Chicago (v/BUF) — Domonique Orange (DT, Iowa State)
#61 LA Rams — Keionte Scott (CB, Miami)
#62 Denver — Josiah Trotter (LB, Missouri)
#63 New England — Gabe Jacas (EDGE, Illinois)
#64 Seattle — Keyron Crawford (EDGE, Auburn)
Round Three
#65 Arizona — Caleb Tiernan (T, Northwestern)
#66 Tennessee — Gracen Halton (DT, Oklahoma)
#67 Las Vegas — Austin Barber (T, Florida)
#68 Tampa Bay (v/PHI, NYJ) — Kyle Louis (LB, Pittsburgh)
#69 Houston (v/NYG) — Daylen Everette (CB, Georgia)
#70 Cleveland — Chris Bell (WR, Louisville)
#71 Washington — Dani Dennis-Sutton (EDGE, Penn State)
#72 Cincinnati — Jalon Kilgore (S, South Carolina)
#73 New Orleans — Derrick Moore (EDGE, Michigan)
#74 Kansas City — De’Zhaun Stribling (WR, Ole Miss)
#75 Miami — Will Lee (CB, Texas A&M)
#76 Pittsburgh (v/DAL) — Zachariah Branch (WR, Georgia)
#77 Tampa Bay — Joshua Josephs (EDGE, Tennessee)
#78 Indianapolis — Kamari Ramsey (S, USC)
#79 Atlanta — Anthony Hill Jr (LB, Texas)
#80 Baltimore — Bryce Lance (WR, North Dakota State)
#81 Jacksonville (v/DET) — Darrell Jackson (DT, Florida State)
#82 Minnesota — Keith Abney (CB, Arizona State)
#83 Carolina — Germie Bernard (WR, Alabama)
#84 Green Bay — Beau Stephens (G, Iowa)
#85 Pittsburgh — Markel Bell (T, Miami)
#86 LA Chargers — Nick Barrett (DT, South Carolina)
#87 Miami (v/PHI) — Antonio Williams (WR, Clemson)
#88 Jacksonville — Romello Height (EDGE, Texas Tech)
#89 Chicago — Jaishawn Barham (EDGE, Michigan)
#90 Miami (v/HOU) — Sam Roush (TE, Stanford)
#91 Buffalo — LT Overton (DE, Alabama)
#92 Dallas (v/SF) —Ted Hurst (WR, Georgia State)
#93 LA Rams — Travis Burke (T, Memphis)
#94 Miami (v/DEN) — Tyler Onyedim (DT, Texas A&M)
#95 New England — Jalen Farmer (G, Kentucky)
#96 Seattle — Jonah Coleman (RB, Washington)
#97 Minnesota — Mike Washington Jr (RB, Arkansas)
#98 Philadelphia — Zakee Wheatley (S, Penn State)
#99 Pittsburgh — Carson Beck (QB, Miami)
#100 Jacksonville (v/DET) — Skyler Bell (WR, Connecticut)
Thoughts on the Seahawks picks
#32 Treydan Stukes (DB, Arizona)
A perfect character/personality fit and possibly the ideal match for a Mike Macdonald defense too. His 4.33 speed on a 6-0, +190lbs frame with 32-inch arms means he’s capable of wearing different hats. He can play outside corner to cover for the loss of Riq Woolen’s size, speed and length combo. He can also feature at safety to cover for the loss of Coby Bryant. If there’s a run on cornerbacks taking the likes of Chris Johnson off the board, Stukes could be the guy at #32 if they can’t trade down.
#64 Keyron Crawford (EDGE, Auburn)
The Seahawks need speed in their pass rush and Crawford had the highest max-speed per GPS measuring over 0-10 yards last season (16.4mph). He also plays with an alpha spirit perfectly matching the D-liners already on the roster. His pass-rush win percentage is decent (18.3%) and he’s only scratching the surface of his potential. I think the Seahawks will see him as someone they can mould and develop into a value pick in this range.
#96 Jonah Coleman (RB, Washington)
The Seahawks need big plays at running back and that’s why we’ve looked at explosive run rate, yards after contact per rush and missed tackles forced rate. It’s clear that Jadarian Price, Mike Washington Jr and Jonah Coleman are the three best fits. If they don’t take Price early, it brings Coleman and Washington into play. I think they’ll be eyeing Coleman — who already knows some of the Seahawks’ key players, his running style is similar to David Montgomery (they reportedly had interest in him before he went to Houston) and his 2024 data (19.8% explosive run rate, 34.9% missed tackle forced rate, 4.34 yards after contact per attempt) suggests they could be getting a steal,
