Feb 5, 2026; San Jose, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike MacDonald talks to media members at the San Jose Marriott. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Seahawks Have Top Priority at NFL Combine

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Michael Hanich | Last updated Feb 25, 2026 4:00 PM ET

The 2026 NFL Scouting Combine is underway, and there will be much to absorb during this long event. There are going to be a lot of storylines that come from this event , but mostly what happens off the field. There will, however, be many storylines to take in on the field by the Seattle Seahawks’ staff.

Many head coaches around the league focused on the offensive side of the ball and their quarterbacks. For Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, he loves to focus on what edge rushers could be impact players moving forward. Macdonald just might have given a tease to what the Seahawks are looking at the most.

Seahawks focusing on edge rushers?

Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

HawkBlogger Brian Nemhauser got to talk to Macdonald and asked him what he is primarily doing during this Scouting Combine. Macdonald responded that he’s ‘always chasing edges.” Macdonald and the Seahawks have a love of utilizing and developing multiple edge rushers in a game, or even on the field at the same time.

The Seahawks’ top-ranked scoring defense was tied for seventh in the league in sacks (47), third in quarterback hurries percentage (10.6%), and sixth in pressure percentage (26.1%). Most of all, the Seahawks rarely sent blitzes as they were 26th in the league in blitz usage (19.3%). Four players accounted for six sacks in the regular season.

As if it were convincing enough that Seattle might be in the draft market for an edge rusher, Nemhauser dropped another piece of news. The Seahawks have reportedly interviewed at least four edge rushers in the early stages of the combine. It isn’t known which edge rushers were interviewed, but the Seahawks are investing in an opportunity in the draft.

What this means for the Seahawks moving forward

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There is a real possibility that the Seahawks will use an early pick, perhaps the No. 32 overall pick, on an edge rusher. There are a lot of edge rushers in this draft that Seattle could draft within the first round. Some of these players include Auburn’s Keldric Faulk, Miami’s Akheem Mesidor, Clemson’s T.J. Parker, Michigan’s Derrick Moore, and Missouri’s Zion Young.

If the Seahawks are also making edge rusher a key focus, it could also mean they don’t they will retain Boye Mafe, who is set to be a free agent. In 17 games this past season, the fourth-year veteran accumulated 31 total tackles, two sacks, four quarterback hits, and four quarterback hits. He also had 40 pressures, according to Pro Football Focus.

Finally, this likely also means that the Seahawks are coming to some understanding that the Las Vegas Raiders are not going to trade veteran star edge rusher Maxx Crosby. The Seahawks might be out on Crosby in general, and they were doing their due diligence to check his availability and price to trade for him.

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This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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