With just four picks in the entire 2026 NFL Draft, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider is lucky his team doesn't have a lot of needs to address. More than lucky, he's put the team in that position with the moves he's made over the past couple of years.
Whatever the case may be, the fact of the matter is that the Seahawks need to be extremely intentional with every pick they make. There's no margin for error, and they can't afford to waste any of those selections.
That's why, considering the uncertainty around DeMarcus Lawrence and Boye Mafe's departure, NFL analyst Daniel Jeremiah believes they should play it safe. Talking to Brock Huard and Mike Salk on Seattle Sports 710 AM, he made a strong case for Oklahoma's R Mason Thomas.
R Mason Thomas makes perfect sense for the Seattle Seahawks
Standing at 6-foot-2 and 241 pounds, Thomas is a bit of a tweener for the position. Nevertheless, Jeremiah believes his power, explosiveness, and speed make him a perfect fit for Mike Macdonald's rotation of pass rushers:
“He’s the absolute home run pick who would fit in that role,” Jeremiah said. “As the No. 2 rusher on a team, he’s a good player. … But (he’d be better) when he’s your No. 3 rusher, and he’s part of that rotation – when you’re keeping him fresh, and he’s just throwing fastballs the whole time.”
Uchenna Nwosu isn't getting any younger, and even if Lawrence doesn't retire, he likely won't play for much longer. They can ease Thomas into the action while he bulks up for the pros. Also, his size -- or lack thereof -- never stopped him in college.
He registered 17 sacks, 25.5 tackles for loss, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, two defensive touchdowns, one pass defensed, and 65 total tackles in 42 career games for the Sooners. He earned first-team All-SEC honors in his final season in college.
NFL Mock Draft Database has R Mason Thomas as No. 44 in this class, so taking him at No. 32 might be a bit of a reach. That said, as the ninth-ranked edge rusher in this class, he definitely won't be available at No. 64.
Still, he turned plenty of heads at the NFL Scouting Combine with a 4.67-second 40-yard dash and an impressive 1.63-second 10-yard split. The Seahawks could probably explore trading down to get him early in the second round if any of their primary targets, most likely a cornerback or safety, are no longer available.