Coby Bryant proved what a defensive back whisperer Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is. Before Macdonald's arrival before the 2024 season, Bryant had gone from slot corner to being on the bench. Now, he is with the Chicago Bears, and the player who might ultimately replace him, Bud Clark, is already a standout in training camp.
If Week 1 were next week, chances are Ty Okada would start in Bryant's place. Okada has been with Seattle for a few years and got a lot of reps last season when starter Julian Love was missing games with a hamstring issue. He was quite good, too, but is he the long-term replacement for Bryant?
That is more likely to be 2026 second-round pick Clark, a ball-hawk out of TCU, who is something akin to Nick Emmanwori but with slightly less athleticism. The truth is that nearly any human being has less athleticism than the second-year player, so Clark coming close is meaningful.
Seattle Seahawks' Bud Clark standing out in first training camp
The rookie appears to be getting better at camp every day and has impressed Macdonald. After practice on Thursday, the head coach told reporters, "(Clark's) best practice was probably the last practice. We'll see what it looks like (in coming practices). (He has) terrific spirit and he's executing well, communicating well. He's put a lot of work in."
One of the keys to Bryant's success was that he had a nose for the football. He could create turnovers, or at least position himself where he could get an interception or force a fumble. Okada has some of those same traits. Instead of simply taking up space by being good tacklers and fundamentally sound, they have gone the extra step of taking the ball away.
Bud Clark was a master of that in college, and that's one reason the team chose him with its second choice in the 2026 draft. In his last four years in college, he had 15 interceptions (at least three every season) and forced a fumble.
He isn't the biggest safety in terms of weight, as he will probably weigh 200 pounds at most at the beginning of his career, but he is 6'2" and can cover a lot of ground. He also might not even need to replace Bryant directly to see the field. Instead, he can line up at slot corner early, helping Devon Witherspoon play a bit more outside.
Eventually, Bud Clark and Nick Emmanwori will probably form two-thirds of the hybrid safety group that Mike Macdonald likes. Gone are the days when players had defined roles. Emmanwori, for instance, might be a safety on one play and an edge rusher the next. Clark's versatility will also allow Macdonald to disguise his alignments.
Seattle Seahawks fans should have a lot of fun watching Clark evolve as a rookie. The good part is that he was already prepared to be impactful in training camp, and coaches are noticing,
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