Which Seahawks-linked draft prospect fits best?
The Seahawks could go in a wide range of directions at pick 32
By winning the Super Bowl this year, the Seahawks have put themselves in the position of having the hardest first round pick of the draft to predict.
All for just being at the pinnacle of the sport…
While there are certainly ways to narrow down Seattle’s probable top choices (almost 90% of choices last year were offensive, so maybe…defense?), the “Plinko Effect” of trying to predict what’s left after 31 picks — aka 31 interconnected decisions that lead to billions of alternate outcomes — and the possibility that the Seahawks won’t even end up making the 32nd pick leads me to believe that nobody will correctly mock the prospect.
Nobody.
But don’t let accuracy and expectations stand in the way of intel gathering and rooting interest.
The most common decisions for the Seahawks at #32 that I’ve seen so far:
Clemson cornerback Aveion Terrell
Tennessee cornerback Colton Hood
Trade Down
Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price
An edge
Any of these options could work — as a rule I try to remain agnostic and not to fall for the “grade the pick” trap as if we can not only predict when everybody will be drafted but then how good they’ll be in the NFL — but I’ve talked myself out of Price or any running back in the first three rounds.
Cornerback feels so much more as a “need” pick, which doesn’t make it wrong but within this context of people creating mock drafts—does the writer/analyst actually believe that player is the best prospect and fit for a Mike Macdonald defense or is it just drawing a line between Seattle’s needs and the highest-ranked corner on that person’s board?
Whereas a first round corner should really stand out as a steal, I think John Schneider could have a bit more leeway on taking an edge rusher “too early”.
Why?
Because I think it’s been well established now that the Seahawks secondary can get by with a bit less talent at cornerback. They have Witherspoon and now Josh Jobe has been re-signed for three more years. There’s flexibility there too with Nick Emmanwori playing the nickel. So if it’s Hood, Terrell, or another cornerback, he should really be an outstanding first-round prospect.
Conversely, if Seattle picks an edge or a defensive tackle/end who might be the heir apparent to Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed, maybe Schneider allows for a bit more projection based on athleticism.
Here’s a quick round-up of some recent Seahawks mock draft picks. We won’t get a great idea of who Seattle will actually pick (nor is that something fans should want or need) but it will give us a little bit of intel to form some opinions.
NFL.com’s Charles Davis has the Seahawks taking Terrell:
The 'Hawks will utilize Terrell outside and in the slot. His ability to make plays as a blitzer fits their scheme well.
Brother of Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell, his biggest knock has been size.
“While he is a little shorter than ideal, Terrell’s weight is a bigger concern, and he is listed at only 180 pounds. Terrell plays stronger than his listed numbers, and he is a willing tackler. Terrell will fly downhill and into the backfield to make tackles, throwing his shoulder into ball carriers.
Terrell also battles receivers hard, and he has very good ball skills. He times his breakups extremely well to smack the ball out. While Terrell is not tall or big, he battles receivers really well on 50-50 passes and has a knack for winning with a pass breakup. Terrell has impressive ball skills and is a threat to pick off passes. He is also very instinctive and ball aware to break out a “Peanut Punch” on ball carriers and strip them of the ball.”
As the Seahawks prepare to extend Devon Witherspoon for 3-4 more years this offseason, is another “undersized” corner the right move at 32?
A to Z Sports’s Brandon Little has the Seahawk staking Hood:
Picking at the end of the first round makes things a real wildcard. With a terrific roster in place coming off a Super Bowl win, the Seahawks can add one of the better cornerbacks in the draft. Hood could be a long-term solution opposite Devon Witherspoon, making Seattle’s secondary even stronger. Hood took advantage of Jermod McCoy not playing for Tennessee in 2026 and looked like a top cornerback. He’s plenty physical when it comes to breaking up passes and stepping up against the run. When asked to press, he can do it at a high level. -Little
The 4-round mock draft also has Seattle taking RB Mike Washington and WR Ja’Kobi Lane; I’ve been pretty vocal as to why I don’t expect the Seahawks to lean towards offense in the draft after using 9 of 11 picks on offense in 2025.
Hood comes in at 6’, 193 lbs, 4.44 40-yard dash, so in that regard he might be someone who ends up pushing Jobe down the line.
So what’s he doing on the board at 32? NFL Draft Buzz:
“Here's the deal with Hood. The tools are legitimate. The speed is legitimate. The ball skills and competitive streak are legitimate. The concerns are legitimate too: the limited starting experience, the inconsistent tackling, the penalties, the struggles tracking the ball on deep throws.”
This is perhaps where some faith in the coaching staff comes into play. But if you have that much faith in the coaches, should they wait to pick a corner?
CBS’s Josh Edwards has Seattle taking edge T.J. Parker:
Seattle drafts T.J. Parker as the Boye Mafe replacement. Mafe signed a lucrative deal with the Bengals in free agency. Parker is a reliable edge setter with limited pass rush potential, but Mike Macdonald can put him in a position to produce.
In a way, Edwards is also calling this pick a reach because Parker is only 49th on his big board. But I remember before the last college season when Parker was cited as a potential top-5 pick.
Parker’s disappointing final college season has him out of the top-10, but his Senior Bowl showing has some people locking him back into the first round.
RotoBaller’s Chris Gregory went a different direction at corner, mocking San Diego State’s Chris Johnson to the Seahawks:
Seattle lost several members of its secondary in free agency, which makes it a prime need for a front office that historically prioritizes the backend of its defense. Johnson’s testing numbers are strong, plus he shows elite instincts and feel for the ball in both man and zone coverage, so he could be a good fit for the Seahawks even if his length is not quite what they usually target.
In a three-round mock draft, Seattle goes RB Washington in this one too, then CB Malik Muhammad out of Texas.
“The Seahawks already drafted a corner in this mock, but John Schneider can never have too many long and athletic corners. Muhammad has the length and testing numbers that Seattle usually looks for, though he does need to add more muscle. He would help fill another one of the offseason losses currently plaguing the Super Bowl champions.”
Bleacher Report compared Johnson to Coby Bryant actually.
“Scheme versatility to toggle between man and zone while having the football IQ to stay in his responsibilities in each. He sees route combinations well and uses his eyes well in off coverage.”
Johnson has almost the exact same measurables as Hood but with a lot less hype because he’s coming out of San Diego State.
Jacob Infante at ProFootballNetwork went with edge Malachi Lawrence:
As the defending Super Bowl champions, the Seattle Seahawks head into the offseason with a target on their back. After all, their offense was explosive in key matchups, and their defense was one of the most dominant units in the NFL this season.
Part of their success down the stretch came from their super deep defensive line rotation, though they lost Boye Mafe to Cincinnati in free agency. Keeping that deck strong could make them dominant along the defensive front for a long time.
With 35-inch arms and a wicked first step, Malachi Lawrence has the tools to go much higher than this in real life. He’s a bit raw and a little light in the pants, but the pass-rushing upside is palpable.
Ben Arthur of Fox Sports also has Seattle taking Hood:
After letting Riq Woolen walk in free agency, Seattle replenishes its cornerback depth with Hood, who had 50 tackles, eight pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble in his lone season with the Vols.
But Garrett Podell at CBS went with Terrell:
Several defensive backs from the Seahawks' "Dark Side" defense left in free agency, including Tariq Woolen and Coby Bryant. Avieon Terrell is one of the best takeaway generators at the cornerback position in this draft class. He set Clemson records for a defensive back in forced fumbles in a season (five) and a career (eight from 2023-2025), a skill set Mike Macdonald will love to have.
Compared to his CBS Sports colleague going with a player ranked much lower than 32, Podell has Terrell as his 11th-best overall prospect.
But when the Seahawks are actually on the clock in April, these players could already be gone. Hell, the top 5 or 6 corners might be gone. So much can happen between now and then, plus Seattle might not be on the clock for long.
Trade Down
A lot of mock drafters simply have the Seahawks trading down from 32, likely because:
It’s the Seahawks
Seattle is low on picks after the third round
32 isn’t that enticing of a place to be if you earned it, but…
Trading up to 32 is often very enticing
Let’s hypothesize that quarterback Ty Simpson hasn’t been drafted in the first 31 picks. It often stands to reason that a team will try to trade up for that best available quarterback and secure the fifth-year option that comes with being a first round pick.
It doesn’t happen as often as people think it will happen, but it’s always in the air at 32.
The only strong argument against Seattle trading down is that it takes two to tango. And because of that, the Seahawks haven’t actually traded down in the first round since 2019. It hasn’t happened in seven years.
And look at how much better Seattle’s last five first round picks have gone since Jordyn Brooks in 2019.
It depends on who the best player on the board is at 32 (assuming Seattle didn’t move in the other direction already), what the best trade offer is (if any), and how the best prospects at that range will compare if the Seahawks do trade down. Schneider has said in the recent past that he’s turned down offers to trade down because he didn’t like what could be left compared to Byron Murphy and Grey Zabel.
Both times it seems he was right to stick and pick.
Each draft class is different though. There are trillions of possibilities.
I really don’t want to predict a player or position at 32. Last year, with the Hawks missing the playoffs, I was into the draft (and free agency) right after week 18. I watched tons of film, did dozens of mocks, built my own big board with the big boards of J Foster (incredible interactive big board with so much info on each player) and Brugler’s The beast when that finally came out. I didn’t do as well with my predicted players as I hoped, and I was plenty pleased with how well JS did.
So this year I’m relaxed, watching film, getting to know the players, coming up with players I like, but I’m not predicting anything. I will make some observations. Last year a player with a first round grade was available in the 2nd round at pick 35. The year before I liked Byron Murphy, but people were convinced he was a top ten pick and would be long gone at 16. Anything is possible for us at 32.
Prediction 1: The Seahawks will stay and pick at 32 for one of two reasons. There’s a player who falls to 32 who they feel is a 1st round player (hopefully at a position of need as well). They may also stay and pick at 32 even if there is no player with a 1st round grade if they can’t find a trade back partner. If they stay and pick at 32, let’s hope the reason is the first one.
Prediction 2: Chenna, Hall and D-Law could all be gone after this season. They will use one of their 1st three picks on an Edge, most likely one of their first two picks.
Prediction 3: One of their 1st three picks will be a CB. (This is far from great insight. But I’ll put it here anyway)
Prediction 4: If they do trade back from 32 and get a 4th round or perhaps another 3rd round pick depending on how far they trade back, I think they will use the extra pick on an IOL. I think they would be prepared to roll it back this year with Bradford, but there is nothing wrong adding a 3rd or 4th round pick to compete and push for the job.
Prediction 5: Christian Haynes gets traded for a late day three pick.
I’m still looking at the draft candidates for each pick, we have 26 days to go! Don’t fret the draft. JS has it under full control. Keep your eye on the 30 visits. There have been a couple of RBs come in that look like day three possibilities. Maybe that means an RB is not a sure thing in rounds 1,2 and 3.
Sneaky 1st round option would be an athletic DT that might be an eventual Big Cat and JReed replacement (3tech rather than nose). The DLine is so important to McDonalds defense stopping the run while still in nickel packages, and can be hard to find good players later in the draft.