The Seattle Seahawks have some important questions to ask in free agency in 2026. Hardly any of them have to do with what free agents to sign from other teams. Instead, Seattle will have several of their own who might need to be extended.
One of these might not be someone general manager John Schneider wants to spend much money to bring back. Cornerback Riq Woolen has been quite the mercurial presence since he was drafted by Seattle in 2022. He has been great in coverage, and at other times is a liability. And that is the best skill he has.
This season, Woolen has allowed just a 72.2 passer rating, which is good. He has also missed 23 percent of his tackle attempts. That doesn't make him a good fit in head coach Mike Macdonald's defensive system. A defensive back needs to be physical, and Woolen simply isn't.
Seattle Seahawks choose Riq Woolen's replacement in recent ESPN mock draft
Assuming he leaves in free agency while the team still has Devon Witherspoon and re-signs Josh Jobe, the Seahawks need to find a replacement. The logical decision would be to choose a corner fairly high in the 2026 NFL draft. That would mean Seattle can keep the player around for at least four seasons and learns to play long-term next to Witherspoon.
According to a new mock draft by Field Yates of ESPN, Seattle will choose South Carolina cornerback Brandon Cisse in the first round. Cisse was a transfer from North Carolina State this season, but he was elite at both schools.
In 2025, the cornerback allowed only 47.4 percent of his targets to be completed. He allowed just one touchdown and had one interception. He broke up seven passes. He does need to work on how many explosive plays he allows. Cisse allowed 20.1 yards per reception this season.
In three years in college, he missed 9.3 percent of his tackle attempts, which is a solid number for a DB. He was also electric in run defense with 13 run stuffs in each of the last two seasons.
At 6-feet and nearly 200 pounds, he has the size to play man coverage physically, which is a perfect fit in Macdonald's system. He has excellent quickness and changes direction quickly. He would vie for immediate playing time, perhaps even playing opposite Devon Witherspoon in two cornerback sets.
The Seattle Seahawks will likely choose well into the 20s in the first round of the 2026 NFL draft, and unless Brandon Cisse has an elite combine (which he might), he should be available for John Schneider to choose. He would be the perfect replacement for Riq Woolen.