The Seattle Seahawks are Super Bowl champions and are the most well-run team in the NFL at the moment. General Manager John Schneider has made a series of slam-dunk decisions in recent years that culminated in the victory over the New England Patriots about two months ago.
But the work has only just begun, and it never really finishes. Seattle is now a two-time Super Bowl-winning franchise and could have what it takes to repeat. While going back-to-back is another level of hard, the overall talent acquisition by Schneider and his front office mates could make it possible.
And as the 2026 NFL Draft nears, the Seahawks mock drafts are actually becoming quite predictable, and it's a position that might not be the most obvious at first glance.
Seattle Seahawks mock draft roundup is becoming predictable at pick 32
Pete Prisco CBS Sports - Cashius Howell, Edge rusher, Texas A&M
"They lost Boye Mafe, one of their rotational pieces, to the Bengals in free agency, so they need more help. They won the Super Bowl because of their front. They could also consider a back here, but I think they wait."
Cashius Howell is a 6-2, 253-pound pass-rusher from Texas A&M. He's a rock-solid first-round prospect with a pretty deep arsenal of pass-rush moves. He's not the biggest as an outside rusher, and perhaps unsurprisingly, his run defense needs some work, but the Seahawks could look to replace the departed Boye Mafe.
A player with the profile of Howell isn't going to start immediately, but he'd see immediate time on pass-rush downs on second and third and long situations.
Rhett Lewis, NFL.com - Cashius Howell, Edge rusher, Texas A&M
"The Super Bowl champs can afford to take some risk with players who possess some outlier traits like Howell, who produced 27 sacks in his collegiate career but has a smaller frame and sub-31-inch arm length. "
Rhett Lewis is another expert who is mocking Howell to the Seahawks. While some fans might be clamoring for the team to address something that is more of a weakness like running back or guard, leaning into a strength is how Seattle won the Super Bowl in the first place.
Schneider loaded up along the defensive line and could look to do that even, even with limited capital.
Peter Schrager, ESPN - Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame
"Believe it or not, Notre Dame has never had two running backs selected in the first round of the same NFL draft. In fact, only four running back tandems from the same school have ever been selected in the first round in the same year. But Price is the No. 2 running back in this class and would provide some nice pop to the Seattle offense after the departure of Kenneth Walker III via free agency. He had only 113 carries last season but turned them into 674 yards and 11 scores."
My personal view of the Seahawks situation is that running back makes a lot of sense at pick 64, especially if it's for Jadarian Price. Kenneth Walker III is now on the Kansas City Chiefs, and some of the running back talent in the tiers below Price are not all that great.
Price has a Javonte Williams-type of profile as a running back. He'll be 23 years old during his rookie season, so he's just a tad bit older for a rookie, but he's a very smooth, pure runner. There isn't much upside as a pass-catcher, though, so Seattle would have to mask some of his weaknesses.
Sayre Bedinger, NFL Spin Zone - Malachi Lawrence, Edge rusher, UCF
"The focus for the Seahawks in many mock draft scenarios has been the defensive backfield with the losses of guys like Coby Bryant and Riq Woolen. It’s understandable to hone in on that position group here with this pick, and that may be the direction the Seahawks go. But what about the edge?
Seattle lost Boye Mafe in free agency to the Bengals. Uchenna Nwosu and Derick Hall are both free agents after the 2026 season. They have to start some future planning here, and Malachi Lawrence is a player shooting up draft boards as of late with his combination of elite athletic traits and consistent production. He could be a fantastic fit here with the final pick of the 1st round."
The final mock draft sees NFL Spin Zone's Sayre Bedinger going in a slightly different route with Malachi Lawrence. Lawrence has a better size profile than Howell, as the UCF product is 6-4 and 253 pounds. The athleticism also jumps off the page. Lawrence has 4.52 speed, a 40-inch vertical jump, and a broad jump of nearly 11 feet.
The ceiling with Lawrence is higher than that of Howell, and given how deep Seattle's defensive line is, Schneider might be more willing to take a chance on Lawrence and allow him some runway to develop. As Bedinger notes, both Uchenna Nwosu and Derick Hall are free agents after 2026, and with the likes of Leonard Williams getting older, the time to prepare for the future is now.