seahawks-first-round-pick

Mock Draft Roundup: Who will Seahawks pick in 1st round?

by

Lead: The Seattle Seahawks, led by GM John Schneider, head into the 2026 NFL Draft with a deep recent draft track record and a short list of roster needs. With the scouting combine set to begin Thursday in Indianapolis and the draft two months away, analysts are projecting a range of first-round targets for Seattle at No. 32 overall. Several draft experts favor cornerbacks and edge rushers as the most likely priorities, though interior offensive line and wide receiver solutions also appear in many mocks. This roundup summarizes 10 prominent mock drafts and assesses what each projection would mean for the reigning Super Bowl champions.

Key Takeaways

  • Ten major outlets offered first-round projections for Seattle; the most frequent positional targets were cornerback (4 mocks) and edge rusher (3 mocks).
  • NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah projects KC Concepcion (WR, Texas A&M) to fill returner/receiver insurance; Concepcion scored two punt-return TDs in 2025.
  • Several mocks (Eric Edholm, PFF, The Athletic) list defensive line or interior help—R Mason Thomas (EDGE, Oklahoma) and Keith Abney II (CB, Arizona State) among names tied to Seattle.
  • Experts note multiple Seahawks from recent drafts—2022 through 2025—are core starters; the 2022 class alone produced at least six key contributors to the Super Bowl season.
  • Seattle holds only four picks in 2026, limiting wholesale roster upgrades and making the No. 32 selection more likely to target immediate depth or a high-upside starter.
  • Cornerback Brandon Cisse (South Carolina) appears in two mocks (NBC, USA Today), with scouts pointing to his 2025 coverage work and run support as attractive traits.
  • Mockers caution the selection could hinge on combine testing and free-agency movement, particularly whether Seattle loses outside cornerbacks or depth pieces in March free agency.

Background

The Seahawks enter this draft cycle riding the benefits of a strong four-year drafting stretch under Schneider. Seattle’s 2022 class—Charles Cross, Kenneth Walker III, Boye Mafe, Abraham Lucas, Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen—supplied multiple starters who were instrumental in the team’s march to a second Super Bowl title. That sustained draft success has reduced obvious roster holes, shifting the 2026 draft conversation toward depth and complementary pieces rather than wholesale rebuild needs.

In 2023, Seattle secured Devon Witherspoon and Jaxon Smith-Njigba with top-10 picks, selections many analysts now consider franchise-altering. The club continued to add contributors in 2024 and 2025—Byron Murphy II and A.J. Barner in 2024, followed by first-rounder Grey Zabel and second-rounder Nick Emmanwori in 2025—leaving the 2026 class to address smaller but still meaningful gaps.

Roster construction, salary-cap considerations and impending free agency shape Seattle’s draft priorities. Several starters and role players from these recent classes will hit free agency this offseason, prompting mockers to weigh the likelihood Seattle will prioritize replacements at cornerback, interior offensive line or rotational pass rush depending on which veterans depart.

Main Event: The Mock Picks

Below is a concise summary of who ten draft analysts forecast Seattle will choose at No. 32 and why each pick fits (or doesn’t) the Seahawks’ roster context.

NFL.com’s Daniel Jeremiah projects KC Concepcion, a speedy wide receiver/returner from Texas A&M, to plug return-game and perimeter receiving needs if Rasheed Shaheed departs in free agency. Jeremiah highlights Concepcion’s special-teams scoring (two punt-return TDs in 2025) and straight-line juice as assets for Seattle’s scheme.

Eric Edholm of NFL.com targets R Mason Thomas (EDGE, Oklahoma), a high-energy pass rusher scouts say matches Seattle’s preference for effort and motor. Edholm notes the pick could depend on Thomas’s combine testing and that interior line or cornerback could be alternatives depending on team evaluations and health.

Charles Davis projects Dillon Thieneman (S, Oregon) to bolster Seattle’s secondary alongside rising safety Nick Emmanwori. Davis frames the selection as a chance to deepen the Seahawks’ “Dark Side” of the defense with a rangy, downhill safety who can patrol the boundary and complement the roster’s existing pieces.

ESPN’s Field Yates sees Chase Bisontis (G, Texas A&M) as an attractive interior lineman with versatility to play multiple spots; Yates argues Seattle’s zone scheme values Bisontis’s combination of quickness and active hands to protect and create seams for the run game.

PFF’s Dalton Wasserman lists Keith Abney II (CB, Arizona State) with Seattle potentially replacing cornerbacks entering free agency. Abney’s 85.3 PFF coverage grade and nine pass breakups in 2025 are cited as evidence he can step into an early role in the rotation.

CBS Sports’ Blake Brockermeyer projects Chris Brazzell II (WR, Tennessee) as a contested-catch, red-zone target to complement Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Brockermeyer emphasizes Brazzell’s size and ability to win on boundary and inside alignments after his rebound production at Tennessee.

Yahoo Sports’ Nate Tice and Charles McDonald prefer Cashius Howell (EDGE, Texas A&M), arguing Seattle can always add another front-seven piece to sustain pressure and depth. Their pick captures the conservative mock tendency to add rotational pass rush even when the roster’s immediate holes are few.

Both NBC Sports’ Eric Froton and USA Today’s Ayrton Ostly project Brandon Cisse (CB, South Carolina) for Seattle, citing his 2025 coverage snaps and metrics—opponents’ completion rates and limited big-play concessions—as indicators of a player who can be developed into a starter in Mike Macdonald’s scheme.

The Athletic’s David DeChant selects Avieon Terrell (CB, Clemson), arguing that Seattle has successfully developed undersized, instinctive corners before and could do so again. DeChant also notes Seattle’s limited 2026 draft capital—four picks total—may push Schneider to maximize value at No. 32 rather than swing for quantity.

Analysis & Implications

Positional patterns across mocks suggest Seattle’s front office will weigh immediate depth over long-term star power with pick No. 32. Cornerback and edge rusher show up repeatedly because they address realistic departure scenarios in free agency and because those positions can be stepped into schematically sooner than project-heavy offensive linemen or receivers. If Seattle loses a starter or two in March, the case for selecting a top cover corner strengthens materially.

Conversely, a receiver or interior guard pick would reflect a more forward-looking approach—either planning for potential salary-cap constraints or hedging against attrition at WR and the interior line. A player such as Chase Bisontis or Chris Brazzell II would be a plug-and-play option to protect investment in the core veterans from 2022–2025, especially in a scheme that prioritizes zone mobility and contested-catch toughness.

The fact Seattle has only four selections in 2026 compounds the strategic pressure on the No. 32 choice. With fewer chips to trade or use later, Schneider may lean toward a high-floor player who can contribute early on special teams or in base packages, rather than a more speculative developmental pick—unless a high-upside value unexpectedly falls to him.

Combine testing will matter. Several mockers explicitly tied their projections to how prospects perform in Indianapolis; measurable improvements at the combine (short shuttle, three-cone, positional drills) could elevate or sink a player’s draft standing for Seattle given the team’s preference for athletes who fit coach Mike Macdonald’s scheme and Jeff Ulbrich-style defensive demands.

Draft Class Notable 1–2 Picks Impact
2022 Charles Cross, Kenneth Walker III, Boye Mafe, Abraham Lucas, Coby Bryant, Riq Woolen Multiple starters; core contributors to Super Bowl run
2023 Devon Witherspoon, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Zach Charbonnet, Derick Hall, Anthony Bradford Franchise-altering talent (Witherspoon, JSN) plus rotational pieces
2024 Byron Murphy II, A.J. Barner Developing starters and mid-round value
2025 Grey Zabel (1st), Nick Emmanwori (2nd) Immediate starting roles; improved OL and safety depth

The table above shows Seattle’s recent draft production: frequent early-round hits have reduced the list of urgent needs and made 2026 selections more about depth and complementary fits than replacing core starters.

Reactions & Quotes

“A speed receiver who returns punts gives Seattle both offense and special-teams upside if Shaheed leaves.”

Daniel Jeremiah / NFL.com

“Edge and interior line remain on the board depending on testing—this pick could swing with combine results.”

Eric Edholm / NFL.com

“A corner like Brandon Cisse offers scheme versatility and physicality the Seahawks covet in the outside role.”

Eric Froton / NBC Sports

Unconfirmed

  • Which free agents Seattle will actually lose in March is not yet settled; some mocks assume departures that remain unverified.
  • How prospects will test at the combine is unknown; several mock projections depend on athletic testing that has not occurred.
  • Trade activity involving No. 32—whether Seattle will move up or back—is speculative until draft week negotiations play out.

Bottom Line

The Seahawks approach the 2026 draft with a rare luxury: consistent recent draft success that leaves the team searching for targeted upgrades rather than structural fixes. That context narrows sensible choices at No. 32 to players who can contribute quickly—special-teams play, rotation snaps, or immediate schematic fits in the secondary or front seven.

Real-world outcomes will hinge on free-agent movement and combine results. If Seattle retains most of its defensive backs in free agency, the pick could slide to interior line or a complementary receiver; if the team loses a starting outside corner, expect a high-quality cover man to top the board. With only four picks, Schneider’s priority is likely a high-floor, pro-ready player rather than a long-term project.

Sources

Leave a Comment