The Seahawks entered this NFL draft with a league-low four choices. It was set to be the second-fewest in team history.
The general manager who had made 74 trades of picks in 16 previous drafts entering this weekend made four deals during this draft. Three came on the final day, Saturday, during rounds four through seven.
“Unfortunately, people don’t want to trade with us until the sixth or seventh round, fifth or sixth round. I don’t know why it happened like that this year,” Schneider said.
Those deals doubled Seattle’s total number of picks for what the GM had said was a weaker draft thinner in talent than next year’s. The Seahawks traded away one of their expected 12 choices for 2027 to select Iowa All-America guard Beau Stephens in the fifth round.
One of the coolest parts of this #Seahawks draft weekend: Coach Mike Macdonald's father Hugh, West Point Class of 1971, being here with his son from his home in Georgia.His coach son beamed when asked about it. Says he and his dad cherish these times. #TheLongGrayLine pic.twitter.com/mWA2swm4GL
Here is my analysis of how each of the Super Bowl champions’ 2026 draft picks fit:
Round 1 (32): Jadarian Price, running back Notre Dame
As Schneider’s comments above indicate, the Seahawks wanted to trade back way earlier, out of round one to net a fourth-round pick. They wanted to then select Price in round two. But no one wanted to trade with them. No one was left to, following six trades immediately before Seattle’s spot at 32.
Schneider assessed the second-best running back in this draft would not still be available when Seattle’s next turn came up at 64, the bottom of the second round. So, earlier than they planned, they got Price to be the heir to departed Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker.
Macdonald said Price will compete with the seven other running backs the Seahawks have on the 90-man offseason roster for the lead job.
But to be clear: Price is a first-round pick. He will be the only Seattle running back under contract beyond 2026 when he signs his four-year rookie deal. It will be worth a slotted $16.99 million.
The Seahawks love Clark’s confidence. They love how aggressive he is attacking passes in the air. Coach Mike Macdonald said they also love his “competitive spirit.”
Coby Bryant, Seattle’s multiyear starting safety and 2022 draft pick, signed in free agency with Chicago last month. Ty Okada made 11 starts and won a Super Bowl ring filling in mostly for injured veteran safety Julian Love. Macdonald said this weekend the coaches are excited for Rodney Thomas, the former starting safety for Indianapolis and Yale graduate who was the first external free agent the Seahawks signed last month.
Clark will compete with Okada and Thomas, or rotate with them, to replace Bryant starting with Love in the back of the defense.
Round 3 (99): Julian Neal, cornerback, Arkansas The bold, brash former Fresno State safety played one season as a hard-hitting cornerback in the Southeastern Conference. He was an instant Seattle media star talking to us after he got drafted Friday night.
“We’re going back to back!” he declared about 10 minutes after he got drafted by the champion Seahawks.
The 99th pick of this draft says he is the most physical cornerback in it.
If he tackles NFL players like he did college guys — or as well as he talks — Macdonald will find a place for him in a rotation with re-signed (for $8 million per year) Josh Jobe opposite three-time Pro Bowl cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
That’s the arrangement the coach had for Jobe and Riq Woolen, until Woolen signed with Philadelphia in free agency last month.
Schneider couldn’t believe the first-team All-American guard was available on what was an otherwise idling Seahawks Saturday morning. They didn’t have a pick in rounds four and five — until they traded a fourth-round choice in their 2027 draft to move into the fifth round and get the rugged Stephens. “It was too big a gap and too much talent there,” Schneider said. “We were pretty surprised.”