The Legion of Boom Taught Seahawks' John Schneider a Vital Draft Lesson

During the mid-2010s, the Seahawks' locker room was filled with icons like Richard Sherman, Kam Chancellor and Bobby Wagner. Schneider noticed a disturbing trend in the draft classes that followed: rookies were coming in as admirers of their teammates rather than competitors.

"Yeah, we'll be way more cognizant of it," Schneider said of the type of player the team will select.

"How do they feel about (Devon Witherspoon), how do they feel about Leonard (Williams), (Byron) Murphy? There's got to be a level of confidence, self-efficacy that we have to dig deeper into… Not just being fans of these guys, but like, 'I want to take their jobs.' The competition just rises to the top."

Schneider’s goal is to avoid the starstruck rookie who is content to just be in the same room as an All-Pro like Devon Witherspoon or a veteran powerhouse like Leonard Williams.

Seahawks Shift is Necessary to Stay Relevant

This shift in evaluation is critical because of the current state of the Seahawks' roster:

• For the first time in years, the offensive line has five returning starters: Charles Cross, Grey Zabel, Jalen Sundell, Anthony Bradford and Abraham Lucas.
• The defense is anchored by Devon Witherspoon and Leonard Williams, players who demand respect but also need to be challenged.
• Under head coach Mike Macdonald, the vision is all about football. If a prospect doesn't have the desire to challenge a veteran, they likely won't fit the locker room culture.

Why This Matters for the Draft

The Seahawks enter the 2026 NFL Draft with only four selections, which is a deliberate move by Schneider, who views this class as having less depth than previous years. With limited swings of the bat, the makeup of the player becomes far more important.

Schneider is leaning on trying to find the reasons behind a player's drive. He isn't drafting for positional need, but rather a competitor.

Our Take

The Seahawks aren't looking for 12s in the locker room to support their Super Bowl-winning core. They are looking for players who can fight for a spot in the 11 on offense, defense and special teams. As Schneider put it, when you find those guys, "the competition just rises to the top."

This is the right mindset for the Seahawks to have because iron sharpens iron and that's the only way the team is going to stay in the Super Bowl conversation for years to come.

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