Saying the Seattle Seahawks had several areas of improvement would be accurate, but it would also be nitpicky. They won 14 regular-season games, were a top-five team on offense and defense, advanced past extremely tough playoff competition, and were always in control in the Super Bowl.
Still, getting complacent is any winning team's biggest mistake, and general manager John Schneider already knows how tough it is to make it to consecutive Super Bowls. That's why, rather than resting on his laurels, he got to work and made some intriguing additions to Mike Macdonald's team.
Outside of Coby Bryant and Kenneth Walker III, the starting lineup will remain nearly untouched, barring a surprise. Even so, these three new faces should still climb their way up the depth chart and take the field early and often in 2026.
3 players who should shake up the Seattle Seahawks' depth chart
Bud Clark
Julian Love, Ty Okada, and Nick Emmanwori will play the bulk of the snaps at safety. However, the Seahawks landed a true ball-hawk in Bud Clark, and defensive coordinator Aden Durde will find a way to get the team's second-round pick on the field as often as possible.
Love is the most experienced, and Emmanwori proved that he can play everywhere. As such, Clark can push Okada for playing time. Iron sharpens iron, and that should help keep everyone in the Dark Side defense on its toes.
Bud Clark has the athletic traits and ball-hawking instincts to eventually take over Okada's starting spot, and his arrival may have made D'Anthony Bell expendable in his second tenure with the organization.
Noah Igbinoghene
Likewise, Noah Igbinoghene might be a victim of the Seahawks' stacked defensive backfield. Though he's slotted as the team's starting slot corner, Nick Emmanwori will most likely be out there in obvious pass situations.
That said, Emmanwori is reportedly working on his pass-rushing moves and repertoire, and he might be used in that capacity more often in his second year in the league. That leaves Igbinoghene as the first guy in the pecking order after him.
The former Washington Commanders star comes with extensive experience in the slot, and while he won't stand much of a chance to get snaps in the boundary, he should still play a big role in the secondary.
Dante Fowler Jr.
Talking about pass rushers, Dante Fowler Jr. might've just needed a change of scenery to turn back the clock and return to his dominant ways. He's coming off a down year, but with the Seahawks' stacked pass-rushing unit, he can be fresh and more efficient as a rotational piece.
DeMarcus Lawrence is projected to start, but Fowler is his obvious heir apparent. Lawrence hasn't lost a step, but Father Time is ruthless, and this might finally be the year he takes a back seat, with Fowler ultimately taking the bulk of the work.
On paper, he's there to play the Boye Mafe role, but he's much more experienced and -- with all due respect -- a better player. The Seahawks like playing all of their pass rushers at one point, but Fowler might be one of their main guys in 2026.
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