2026 NFL Draft Grade: Seattle Seahawks -- C

The Seattle Seahawks entered the 2026 NFL Draft with a clear set of priorities. Cornerback sat as the team's only critical need following the departures of Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe, which left Devon Witherspoon as the only established starter in a thin room. High needs included edge rusher and tight end, while running back, guard, and safety fell into the medium category despite some roster churn.

General manager John Schneider and head coach Mike Macdonald had eight selections to work with, including several compensatory picks acquired via trades. The class that emerged is a mixed bag -- one that addresses the critical cornerback hole effectively on Day 3 but raises real questions about value discipline on Days 1 and 2. The pre-computed grade of C (55.6) reflects a draft that filled some needs but did so with several picks that arrived well ahead of where most boards had the players ranked.

Here is the pick-by-pick breakdown.

Pick 32 (Round 1) -- Jadarian Price, RB, Notre Dame Grade: D (40.0)

This is the pick that will define how Seattle's entire draft class is discussed. With a critical need at cornerback and high-value edge rushers still on the board, the Seahawks instead turned in the card for a running back from Notre Dame. Price is a talented one-cut runner with receiving ability, and the roster did have a need for a lead back after Kenneth Walker III departed in free agency. But taking him at No. 32 overall -- 30 picks before most draft analysts had him ranked -- is the kind of reach that drags down a class in an unforgiving way. Seattle passed on several cornerbacks who went later in the round and addressed a position where the team had capable bodies in Zach Charbonnet and Cam Akers. The grade is a D for a reason: the value simply was not there.

Pick 64 (Round 2) -- Bud Clark, S, TCU Grade: C (55.0)

The safety room in Seattle needed an infusion of talent after Coby Bryant departed. Bud Clark is an aggressive, rangy safety who can play single-high or drop into the box, fitting the versatile profile that defensive coordinator Aden Durde values in his multiple-front scheme. The grade of C reflects a solid if unspectacular value proposition. Clark was ranked in the 70s on most boards -- Seattle took him at 64, a modest reach of about a dozen slots. It is not a home run, but it is also not a whiff. Clark should compete for a starting role alongside Julian Love and Nick Emmanwori, and his skill set fits what Seattle wants to do on the back end.

Pick 99 (Round 3) -- Julian Neal, CB, Arkansas Grade: B (71.0)

Finally, the Seahawks address the critical need at cornerback. Julian Neal is a lengthy, press-oriented corner who brings the kind of size and physicality that Seattle's scheme demands at the position. With the cornerback room currently reliant on Devon Witherspoon and not much else, Neal steps into a clear starting opportunity. The grade of B reflects that this was a need-based pick that also arrived in the general vicinity of where evaluators had him ranked -- a mild reach, but one that makes sense given how thin the depth chart looked at the position. The Seahawks acquired this pick via a compensatory selection from the Steelers, turning a trade asset into a player who should see the field early.

Pick 148 (Round 5) -- Beau Stephens, OG, Iowa Grade: D (40.0)

Interior offensive line depth was a medium need for Seattle, and the Seahawks went to the Iowa pipeline to address it. Beau Stephens is a powerful, technically sound guard who fits the profile of what Seattle's offensive line coach looks for in the run game. But the grade here is a D because this pick arrived 45 slots before Stephens appeared on most predraft boards. The Seahawks could have waited multiple rounds and still landed him, or used this pick on a player whose value matched the slot. The offensive line already returns its entire starting five from 2025, so this was a depth addition that came at a significant cost in terms of draft capital efficiency.

Pick 199 (Round 6) -- Emmanuel Henderson Jr., WR, Kansas Grade: D (43.0)

After losing Rashid Shaheed in free agency, the Seahawks needed to add some speed and special teams juice to the wide receiver room. Emmanuel Henderson Jr. brings that explosive dimension -- he is a track-level athlete who can take the top off a defense and contribute as a returner. The problem is that most boards had Henderson ranked deep into the seventh round or as a priority free agent. Seattle reached more than 100 slots ahead of that range to grab him. The D grade reflects that aggressive overpay. Henderson has a real chance to make the roster and carve out a role, but the team left better value on the board at other positions.

Pick 236 (Round 7) -- Andre Fuller, CB, Toledo Grade: A+ (100.0)

And here is the class's saving grace. Andre Fuller was viewed by many evaluators as a top-200 prospect -- a cornerback with starting-caliber traits, good length, and ball skills. The fact that he was still available at pick 236 in the seventh round is a gift for Seattle. This is the kind of pick that can completely reshape how a draft class is remembered. Fuller fills the critical cornerback need with a player who might have gone three rounds earlier. The A+ grade is the only perfect score in Seattle's entire class, and it is well-earned. If Fuller develops into a starter, this draft looks a lot better than the average grade suggests.

Pick 242 (Round 7) -- Deven Eastern, DT, Minnesota Grade: D (40.0)

Interior defensive line depth was not a critical need, especially with Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II anchoring the group. Deven Eastern is a rotational tackle who can absorb double teams and hold ground against the run, but he is a developmental player who needs time to refine his pass-rush chops. The D grade here reflects a reach of about 34 slots relative to where most draft analysts had him ranked. Seventh-round picks are lottery tickets by nature, but this one carries less upside than the slot suggested was available.

Pick 255 (Round 7) -- Michael Dansby, CB, Arizona Grade: C (56.0)

Seattle doubled down on cornerback in the seventh round, and this time the grade is more favorable. Michael Dansby is a competitive, instinctive corner who played both outside and in the slot at Arizona. He was not highly ranked -- most boards had him as a late-round or undrafted prospect -- but for a compensatory pick at No. 255, the Seahawks get credit for targeting their biggest need and adding another body to a competition room that needed numbers. The C grade is appropriate: modest expectations, modest investment, modest return.

Overall Grade: C (55.6)

The best pick in this class is unquestionably Andre Fuller in the seventh round. Getting a cornerback of his caliber at pick 236 is the kind of late-round magic that general managers build reputations on. He has a real path to starting, and if he hits, he alone justifies the Seahawks' strategy of waiting on cornerback until Day 3.

The worst pick is Jadarian Price in the first round. Running back was a medium need, not a critical one, and taking a player 30 slots ahead of his predraft ranking at a non-premium position is the kind of move that derails a class. Seattle could have addressed cornerback, edge rusher, or guard at that slot and found comparable running back value later. The grade of D at pick 32 is the lowest possible score for a first-round selection and it anchors the entire class.

In terms of filling actual needs, the Seahawks did eventually address cornerback -- the critical need -- with three picks, including one that could be a steal. Safety was addressed in Round 2 with Bud Clark, who should contribute immediately. The high needs of edge rusher and tight end, however, were completely ignored. That is a notable omission for a team that wanted a complementary pass rusher opposite Uchenna Nwosu and more depth behind Noah Fant at tight end.

The verdict on this class is that it is a C -- a grade that screams average but with a wide variance in outcomes. If Andre Fuller becomes a starter and Julian Neal develops into a solid No. 2 corner, the secondary is transformed and the class looks much better in retrospect. But the early-round value problems at running back and offensive guard represent genuine opportunity costs. The Seahawks had the cap space and flexibility to be aggressive, but this draft feels like it left meat on the bone. Schneider and Macdonald will need the development staff to earn their paychecks on this group.

Pick-by-Pick Summary