The rich always find ways to get richer, and that's exactly what the Seattle Seahawks did in 2026. If their "Dark Side" defense wasn't scary enough, they added even more young talent by taking Bud Clark in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Clark is a tailor-made fit for what Mike Macdonald and Aden Durde love to do in the secondary. He can play all over the defensive backfield at both safety spots, and he can also give them another option in the slot.
However, his presence has given general manager John Schneider a great problem to have. Essentially, the Seahawks have way more guys than they can play, and ultimately, someone will have to be the odd man out.
The Seattle Seahawks need to make room for Bud Clark
Considering that, Seahawks analyst Corbin Smith dug deep into the depth chart and the tape to figure out the best way to maximize the rookie out of TCU. Talking on "The Hawks Eye" podcast, he concluded that, inevitably, the Seahawks will have to cut ties with one of their veteran defensive backs before the final 53-man roster cuts:
“You brought back D’Anthony Bell. You’ve got Rodney Thomas, a guy that they love in that building. So, where does he fit in the equation? They really like AJ Finley, who’s coming out of a torn ACL, [and] is a really good special teams guy. Maxen Hook is one of the returning reserve signings they had that they are high on," Smith said.
The Seahawks love to shake things up on defense, and with Coach Macdonald using multiple safeties on the field more often than not, there should be more than enough snaps for Clark, Ty Okada, and Julian Love.
Of course, Josh Jobe, Nick Emmanwori, and Devon Witherspoon will also be on the field for as many snaps as they can handle, with the last two lining up in the slot every here and there as well.
That leaves the recently signed Noah Igbinoghene as another potential cut candidate, given that he offers little to no value on special teams, and the Seahawks could also give Michael Dasnby some snaps at nickel.
The Seahawks run one of the most sophisticated and complex defensive schemes in the game, and they truly rely on strength in numbers and versatility. Everybody will get to play everywhere, depending on the context and the opposition.
Clark is a ball-hawking safety who has the size and speed to be a threat at the next level. His ability in coverage will get him on the field early and often, and his nose for the ball will make him a force to be reckoned with in coverage.
As such, those who can't do a little bit of everything at a high level simply won't have a place in the Dark Side defense. The Seahawks have never hesitated to pull the trigger on a new signing, and Igbinoghene won't have much time to prove himself after years of failure to live up to his first-round pick status.
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