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The Seattle Seahawks addressed perhaps their most pressing need with the final pick of the first round in the 2026 NFL Draft on Thursday night, taking Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price after plans to trade down fell apart.<\/p>\n
The reigning Super Bowl champions have talent everywhere, returning most of their roster from last season. That should allow them to plan for the future at positions with players who are aging or approaching contract years, like defensive line and outside linebacker.<\/p>\n
They also have only three picks remaining (Nos. 64, 96 and 188) after failing to trade on Thursday, and general manager John Schneider would certainly like to add more. Expect the Seahawks to work the phones on Friday.<\/p>\n
Here are potential targets as the draft rolls on, split up into likely Day 2 and Day 3 picks.<\/p>\n
Many of the names above will be gone (perhaps long gone) by the time the Seahawks are back on the clock at No. 64. If Seattle moves back to collect more picks, the list will thin even more. But it\u2019s possible one of the Seahawks potential Day 1 targets will slip. Others near the bottom of the list could be targets at No. 96.<\/p>\n
Hood would likely challenge for a spot in the Seahawks\u2019 rotation by the midway point of his rookie year. He\u2019s a good athlete who tracks the ball well and is capable of playing man or zone.<\/p>\n
McDonald was my choice in The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s final beat writer mock draft. That would be a pick made with an eye toward the future. McDonald could immediately help Seattle on early downs as a run defender, but the team wouldn\u2019t need him to take a bigger role until the defensive line enters life without Jarran Reed (who is 33) and\/or Leonard Williams (whose contract expires after 2026).<\/p>\n Allen projects as an impact starter, according to \u201cThe Beast,\u201d Dane Brugler\u2019s draft guide. \u201cAllen has reliability issues in zone coverage, but he is a speedy flow-and-scrape linebacker who is quick to trigger and be around the football,\u201d Brugler wrote. Ernest Jones IV, Drake Thomas and Tyrice Knight are signed through 2027. An inside linebacker pick would undoubtedly be a luxury. But Allen might be the type of impact player worth taking anyway.<\/p>\n\n Based on Seattle\u2019s needs and the makeup of the class, Day 2 seems like the sweet spot for drafting a safety. Stukes and Clark make sense for a couple of reasons. Brugler describes Stukes as \u201can instinctive athlete who plays with quiet confidence and valuable versatility.\u201d He sees Stukes\u2019 future at nickel \u201cwhile offering outside or single-high flexibility.\u201d<\/p>\n Clark would appear to be the inverse in that his future might be as a center-field replacement for Coby Bryant but with nickel versatility. Either selection should work out for Seattle, as long as coach Mike Macdonald and his staff have a vision for the player.<\/p>\n The Seahawks\u2019 wide receiver lineup is stacked for 2026 and beyond, so I\u2019d be surprised if they drafted a wideout within the top 100. That said, it would be hard to fault the Seahawks for taking a chance on a well-rounded prospect such as Bernard, WR7 in Brugler\u2019s guide with a second-round grade.<\/p>\n\n \u201cBernard is just a good football player,\u201d Brugler wrote. \u201cHe is a good-sized athlete who can gear up and down with ease and plays just as comfortably along the sideline as when attacking the middle of the field. It will be more challenging for him to create separation versus NFL corners, but he is a natural at addressing the football and competes with the toughness to play through contact.\u201d<\/p>\n I\u2019m higher on Bernard than Stribling, but the case for making the luxury selection would be the same in either case: Take the talented player and sort the rest out later. That\u2019s admittedly harder to do with few picks, though.<\/p>\nDay 3<\/h2>\n