RENTON, WA — The confetti from the Super Bowl LX parade has barely settled, but the Seattle Seahawks are already hunting for their next championship pieces. With the 2026 NFL Draft in Pittsburgh less than a month away, John Schneider and Mike Macdonald are opening the doors of the Virginia Mason Athletic Center to 30 of the nation’s top college prospects. Despite holding a league-low four total draft picks, the front office is leaving nothing to chance as they look to fill holes left by major free agent departures.
The Renton Filter: Hunting for Value at No. 32
Seattle sits in a unique spot. Winning the Lombardi Trophy means picking at the very end of the first round. However, the roster isn’t perfect. The secondary took a massive hit this month as Pro Bowl corner Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant exited in free agency. This explains why cornerbacks like Clemson’s Avieon Terrell and Tennessee’s Colton Hood are high on the visitor list. Terrell, the younger brother of Falcons star A.J. Terrell, forced five fumbles in 2025. He fits Macdonald’s aggressive, ball-hawking scheme like a glove.
The “Top 30” label is often misunderstood. It isn’t a ranking of the best players in the country. Instead, it’s a tool for deep dives. Teams use these eight-hour windows for medical checks and chalkboard sessions. For a team with zero picks in the fourth or fifth rounds, these meetings are vital for finding stars who might slide or identifying targets for a potential trade-back scenario. The Seahawks moved those middle-round picks to New Orleans for Rashid Shaheed last year—a gamble that paid off with a ring, but left the cupboard lean for April.
“We aren’t just looking for talent; we’re looking for the right DNA. This city expects a certain grit. Our picks are few, so every name we call has to be a home run.”
— Mike Macdonald, Seahawks Head Coach
Defensive Reinforcements and the Edge Search
Beyond the secondary, the pass rush needs a spark. Boye Mafe secured a massive payday with the Bengals, leaving a 10-sack void in Seattle’s defense. Scouts have been glued to tape of Miami’s Rueben Bain Jr. and Ohio State’s Arvell Reese. Bain is a physical specimen who notched 12 tackles for loss last season, while Reese offers the raw athleticism that Schneider has historically coveted.
There is a quiet confidence in the building. Quarterback isn’t even a conversation right now, which is a luxury few teams have. Instead, the focus is on “The Dark Side” defense. The chilly spring wind off Lake Washington hasn’t slowed the pace at headquarters. You can feel the intensity when these young athletes walk through the lobby; they know they are auditioning for the defending champions. Whether it’s finding a lead back to pair with Kenneth Walker III or a rangy safety like Dillon Thieneman, the Seahawks are in full reload mode.
