The Seattle Seahawks lost four prominent players to free agency this offseason. In the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, general manager John Schneider filled in the hole left by running back Kenneth Walker with Jadarian Prince. In round two, safety Bud Clark figures to help pick up the slack after Coby Brynat departed.
After getting a big perimeter cornerback – Julian Neal – to help replace Riq Woolen, Schneider will have a long wait on Saturday before he makes his next selection. Barring a trade, that pick will come late in the sixth round at number 188. And if Seattle continues its trend, the position he will target seems obvious.
Boye Mafe was the fourth prominent Seahawk to leave in the 2026 offseason. Seattle does have three proven edge rushers in DeMarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu, and Derick Hall. They also have some decent young prospects already on the roster. But when it comes to edge rushers, coach Mike Macdoanald is greedy. He always wants more.
Utah edge would be a perfect fit on the Seahawks defense
Logan Fano has already seen his younger brother Spencer become the first offensive lineman chosen in the 2026 draft. Spencer went to Cleveland in the first round.
Logan does not have his brother’s imposing physical gifts, but he does have a lot of what Macdonald values in an edge rusher. At almost 6’5” and a solid 255 pounds, he has size comparable to players like Mafe and Nwosu. His shorter-than-expected arms may cause him to fall a bit but he never seemed to let that hinder his ability to disrupt the backfield in college.
Fano also possesses intangibles that the Seahawks value. He has the versatility to play the run or rush the passer. He is a disciplined player who was noted for his tenacity on the field and his leadership off it.
The biggest hindrance to Fano development – and to his potential in the NFL – could be his propensity for injury. He has suffered multiple knee injuries throughout his career. However, his last serious injury came in 2023. Over the past two seasons, he has remained relatively healthy and began showing the productivity to succeed to the next level.
After their three primary edge rushers, Seattle has a couple of 2025 UDFAs ready to compete for snaps next season. The club likes both Jared Ivey and Connor O’Toole, but neither has done enough to lock down a spot.
Mike Macdonald wants to rotate his edges, keeping veteran DeMarcus Lawrence as fresh as possible. Despite not piling up a lot of sacks last season, Mafe was an essential part of the pass rush based on his ability to consistently beat his blocker and force the opposing quarterbacks to hurry. Hall should do that quite nicely in 2026.
But the defense will need at least one more potent edge rusher. Right now, Fano does not have any obvious advantage over Ivey or O’Toole, though he may be a more effective run defender than either of the two young vets. He showed flashes of pass rushing ability at Utah and has the size and speed to develop further.
If Fano is able to continue building on his pass rush, he could provide very good support to Seattle's potent front seven. Given what Mike Macdonald values, it would be a wise investment. And it would close the books on finding fill-ins for the losses suffered this off-season in free agency.
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