Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider knew he had his work cut out for him this off-season. Having to replace two key defensive backs from the league's best defense in 2025.
Following the departures of cornerbacks Riq Woolen and Cobe Bryant in free agency, Schneider got to work. He signed veteran journeyman corner Noah Igbinoghene and later drafted Julian Neal in the third round of this year's draft.
With training camp and preseason now underway, Schneider has continued to add more competition and depth to his secondary. Signing cornerback Trevon Diggs this past week, while also trying to finalize a deal with another corner, Terrion Arnold.
Seattle Seahawks appear desperate to fix their cornerback problem
Schneider has a method to his madness when it comes to evaluating talent. His actions demonstrate a concerted effort to continue to improve the roster. Here is a look at what Arnold and Diggs bring to the table and where the cornerback battle stands.
Seahawks hope corner Arnold is worth the legal drama
The Detroit Lions released Arnold following his arrest on charges of kidnapping and robbery this offseason. After evaluating the legal situation and receiving feedback about his character, Schneider agreed to a contract with Arnold (though the deal is not yet finalized). The former Lions corner is expected to be placed on the NFL's exempt list if he signs with the Seahawks.
Despite the questions about his eligibility, Arnold was a highly touted cornerback out of the University of Alabama. He was selected with the 24th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. In two seasons with the Lions, he had 91 career tackles, 18 passes defensed, and an interception.
He was seemingly not a great fit with Detroit, though, and struggled with penalties. If he is allowed to play, maybe Mike Macdonald can help fix at least his on-field issues.
Seahawks sign Diggs with Arnold situation still up in the air
John Schneider signed Diggs to a one-year contract because of the questions surrounding Arnold off the field. Diggs expects to compete right away for the Seahawks' third corner position. The question will be whether the veteran corner can stay healthy.
In the past three seasons, he has had several injuries that have sidelined him. During the 2023 season, Diggs suffered a torn ACL in practice, which caused him to miss 15 games. In 2024, nagging knee issues related to reconstructive surgery on his ACL caused the veteran corner to miss six games. Then, in 2025, he missed eight games after suffering a concussion from an in-home injury.
Diggs has played six seasons in the NFL, mostly with the Dallas Cowboys, while also appearing in one game with the Packers last season. In his career, the veteran corner has compiled 242 tackles, 63 passes defensed, and 20 interceptions.
Where Seattle's cornerback battle stands after Schneider's latest moves
The Seahawks have plenty of depth and competition at cornerback now with the addition of Diggs and potentially Arnold as well. They will be competing with previous offseason acquisitions Igbinoghene and Neal, who are also in the mix, as well as existing corners Josh Jobe and Nehemiah Pritchett, for starting roles.
Seattle has two preseason games left to evaluate the corners it has on the roster. Schneider will be watching what he sees in those games and in the final weeks of training camp before making his decision on who will stay at the position before roster cuts on August 30th. The race is on in the final stretch of this cornerback battle to see who starts at the corner positions for the Seahawks.
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