The Seattle Seahawks won the Super Bowl, of course, which means they will choose last in the first round (and the second round) of the 2026 NFL draft. Seattle only has four selections overall, though, which means general manager John Schneider might look to trade back from pick 32 to add selections. Mel Kiper doesn't see that happening.
The longtime ESPN draft guru thinks that head coach Mike Macdonald's team will stay pat to grab a specific player, Clemson's T.J. Parker. The dge rusher is a Derick Hall clone, which means he is strong instead of overly fast, and he can set a hard edge against the run.
Kiper wrote in a recent mock draft, "General manager John Schneider said the Seahawks are hoping to move back at some point in the draft, as they currently have a league-low four selections. But I don't think they will trade this pick, as they have a chance to add a rugged, tough edge rusher to coach Mike Macdonald's defense."
Mel Kiper believes the Seattle Seahawks stick at pick 32 and take edge rusher T.J. Parker
The worry with Parker is that he was much better in his next-to-last year in college than in his final one. In 2024, Parker was named Second-Team All-SEC when he had 11 sacks, six forced fumbles, and 19.5 tackles for loss. In 2025, he had just five sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss.
Teams would like to see the production of a prospective draft pick tick up as the player progresses through college, but Parker's falloff is concerning. This is especially true because any potential future employer will have to weigh whether they think Parker will have a professional career that resembles his 2024 year or 2025.
If the answer is 2025, then the edge rusher will be a solid rotational piece, but not overly impactful or a multi-time Pro Bowler. However, if Parker is closer to his 2024 season, he could be an elite player for many years.
His pros are many, though. He has NFL-type strength already and can bend offensive linemen to his will if he can get his hands on them. This will help him collapse the pocket, too. He will be difficult to move when teams are trying to rush.
His weaknesses are that he isn't extremely fast or quick, and he will need to rely on his strength more. Opponents will understand this and could adjust accordingly. Parker also appears to have a solid idea at the snap of what to do when pressuring quarterbacks, but if he is met with resistance, he lacks a lot of options to do something else.
Of course, the Seattle Seahawks also have a bit of a cheat code on defense, and that is Mike Macdonald. He would likely find a way to get the best out of T.J. Parker, at least by Parker's second season. If anyone can make Parker closer to his 2024 season, it is Seattle's head coach.
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