Field Gulls
The Seattle Seahawks 2026 rookie class may not feature a long list of immediate starters, but that doesn’t mean this group won’t make an impact this season.
With Mike Macdonald entering his third year and the roster becoming increasingly competitive, earning playing time will be more difficult than it was for previous rookie classes. At the same time, several positions remain unsettled, creating opportunities for young players who can impress throughout training camp.
Some will have to fight for rotational snaps, others will likely begin on special teams, and a few may simply be preparing for larger roles in 2027. But there are legitimate paths for multiple rookies to contribute sooner rather than later.
The obvious headliner is first-round pick Jadarian Price, but his path to immediate starter status may not be quite as straightforward as many expected after draft weekend.
Throughout offseason practices, George Holani has surprisingly taken a significant number of first-team reps, while Zach Charbonnet has reportedly looked ahead of schedule in his recovery. That shouldn’t come as a complete surprise. Continuity matters, and Charbonnet now enters the season with a much better understanding of the run concepts, protections and play-action elements that define Seattle’s offense.
Even so, Charbonnet still appears to be the favorite to open the season as Seattle’s lead back if healthy (something that seems unlikely right now). Price’s explosiveness, fit with scheme and versatility should earn him touches immediately, but the Seahawks have historically preferred easing young running backs into larger workloads rather than forcing them into feature roles from Day 1.
By the end of the season, that balance could look very different.
Few rookies may benefit more from Seattle’s offseason departures than second-round safety Bud Clark.
Coby Bryant’s departure leaves behind meaningful snaps in Macdonald’s secondary. Ty Okada enters camp with a slight advantage simply because he spent last season in the active roster, while Rodney Thomas II arrived this offseason and quickly received positive reviews from the coaching staff.
Neither player, however, possesses Clark’s combination of versatility and long-term upside.
Macdonald has consistently valued defensive backs capable of filling multiple roles, disguising coverages and communicating across the secondary. Clark checks each of those boxes, giving him a legitimate chance to climb the depth chart quickly if his transition to the NFL goes smoothly.
The Seahawks’ cornerback room quietly has more uncertainty than many realize.
Josh Jobe is widely expected to be in the starting lineup opposite Devon Witherspoon after earning a new contract, but Woolen’s departure also leaves open rotational snaps that existed throughout last season, particularly in dime packages where Seattle frequently rotated outside corners.
At the moment, Nehemiah Pritchett has been working with those defensive units during offseason practices. Still, projecting him into a significant defensive role requires believing he has made a massive technical leap after three...
