The 2026 draft is in the books and I wanted to wrap things up with a few thoughts…

Seattle’s draft success continues

I’ve seen a lot of sniffiness from the online ‘draft media’ crowd, who will overreact to the drafting of a running back at #32 like an act of self-flagellation took place in Seattle’s draft room.

This wasn’t a deep draft class at the top end and on my horizontal board, for what it’s worth, I had Price as one of the 32 best players in the class. That’s not hindsight, it’s a view crafted long before the increasing chatter that he could be the Seahawks’ pick.

They needed big plays in their running game and Price was #1 for explosive run rate, #1 for missed tackles forced rate and #2 (behind Jeremiyah Love) for yards after contact per attempt.

They followed it up with value picks at positions where they lost players in free agency, adding Bud Clark (a perfect fit for the personality of the team and the scheming creativity of Mike Macdonald) and Julian Neal (who will adequately replace the size and length they lost with Riq Woolen).

I had second round grades on Price and Clark, with a third round grade on Neal. I had a day-two grade on Beau Stephens and the Seahawks traded back into round five to get him.

When you’re picking at the end of every round as the Super Bowl Champions, your options are always going to be somewhat limited. If they’d done things differently — say landing Colton Hood at #32 and getting Jonah Coleman at #96 instead, would they be any better off? It feels like a wash at best.

They’ve positioned themselves to pick up where they left off in 2025. They’ve effectively replaced lost talent and will be ready to go next season.

Other rivals can’t be as optimistic

It’s hard to take significant steps forward as the defending champs. Those trying to reach the pinnacle are always likely to be more aggressive or have bigger holes they can fill.

I’m not convinced Seattle’s main NFC rivals closed the gap.

The Seahawks blew the doors off San Francisco at the end of last season and in the playoffs. They were physically overwhelmed. Their off-season moves don’t make them physically more able, meaning they’re relying on returning heroes from injury. That’s fine — Nick Bosa and Fred Warner are two of the best players in the league. I’m not convinced the 49ers’ draft and free agency moves make them any more likely to go further than last season.

The Rams had a great opportunity to grow with the gift of the 13th overall pick courtesy of Atlanta. Instead of selecting someone like Vega Ioane or Rueben Bain Jr, they took a flier on a quarterback many didn’t see as a true first round talent. They then used their second round pick on yet another tight end.

Meanwhile, the Eagles made their moves but will inevitably lose AJ Brown soon.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an A+ draft and could emerge as a contender if they stay healthy. Overall though, I’m not convinced anyone made a statement to say ‘we’re coming for you’ in the NFC.

A message to anyone thinking of buying the team

The Seahawks will have new owners soon. Whoever the individual or individuals are, you don’t need to change anything.

Here was my message on Hawk Blogger’s live stream yesterday:

What happens next?

The Seahawks didn’t draft an EDGE rusher and will almost certainly sign a veteran in the coming days. From Monday, signings don’t count against your comp-picks.

Dante Fowler recently had a visit. Von Miller is available too. They have options.

What about the future though?

They were said to be aggressively pursuing options before the last trade deadline, emerging with Rashid Shaheed while looking at other moves — including the prospect of adding Maxx Crosby.

Doing business before the 2026 draft was tough because they owned the #32 pick. Every other team had a value advantage simply by picking earlier.

Now, all of those picks are valued the same again. Seattle’s 2027 stock doesn’t have a number attached to it, any more than Philadelphia’s does — or the Rams, 49ers, Chiefs or anyone else.

They are now in a better place to do deals.

As the summer goes on — and when we get into training camp and before the deadline — I would think there’s a reasonable chance the Seahawks go hunting again.

Could they make some form of trade to add a pass rusher this year? I think there’s a good chance.