Seahawks looking at CB early in NFL Draft?

Seahawks general manager John Schneider is no stranger to draft day trades. Last year he traded back from the fourth round 18 spots, adding a seventh-round pick for a fifth- and sixth-rounder in exchange for moving back. In their new fourth-round slot, they drafted tight end AJ Barner, who ended up becoming the team’s leading tight end on their Super Bowl run in his sophomore campaign. In 2023, Schneider sent the team’s third-round pick to Denver in exchange for their fourth-round pick and a third-rounder in 2024. That fourth-round pick became starting right guard Anthony Bradford.

One could continue going back, year after year, to see Seattle staying active throughout the draft, often taking small slides back to stash extra picks in later rounds or future years. That’s part of the reason La Canfora believes the prospect of trading away a pick with a fifth-year option attached to it may be too good of a deal for Schneider to pass up. Another reason would be the fact that last year’s Super Bowl roster is still fairly intact.

The biggest names no longer in the building include running back Kenneth Walker, safety Coby Bryant, cornerback Riq Woolen, and outside linebacker Boye Mafe. Seattle knew it had Zach Charbonnet ready to take up the yoke after Walker’s departure and added Emanuel Wilson in free agency to supplement a room that also houses George Holani and Kenny McIntosh. On the edge, the defense returns Leonard Williams and DeMarcus Lawrence but may need to add some depth behind the pair.

The Seahawks did add cornerback Noah Igbinoghene after two years of jumpstarting his career with the Commanders, but he isn’t expected to step into a role as big as Woolen’s role in 2025. With the additional hole left by Bryant, there could certainly be a need for Seattle to add a starting caliber safety or cornerback in the first two days of the draft.

There are some talented cornerback prospects in the 2026 class, but none seem to be beating down the door of the top 10. There’s also a good amount of depth at the position with quality prospects being projected into the late-second or early-third round. The Seahawks may sit back and take a chance that one of the top prospects will fall to them at the last pick of the first round, but no one should rule out Schneider trading back into the second round, still getting a quality addition at a position of need there, while collecting some extra draft capital along the way.