It is still early to decide if the Seattle Seahawks' 2026 NFL Draft is a miss, but injuries and inconsistent play says otherwise. It doesn't help that the Seahawks encountered a Super Bowl hangover and there are signs that players and coaches are measuring up to their season expectations. The 2026 Draft class had mild expectations to contribute, but even those mild expectations aren't being met.
The Seahawks are now 3-3 and coming off a 17-14 overtime loss to the Denver Broncos on Thursday Night Football. Only one rookie from the 2026 NFL Draft class participated in the game and they took reps more than normally would. There is still hope for this class to get better, but it is showing flashes of the 2013 or 2019 draft classes.
Feeling Good
It might be too far-fetched to say that the Seahawks and the 12 should be feeling good about guard Beau Stephens, but he is the only rookie consistently seeing the field. Stephens took 30 offensive snaps for the Seahawks against the Broncos. He continues to split the first-string right guard spot along with Christian Haynes while Anthony Bradford remains out with knee and hip injuries.
The Seahawks’ coaching staff likes that Stephens is getting meaningful reps. The problem is that he is still struggling to find some consistency against NFL-caliber talent. Stephens has an overall grade of 48 by Pro Football Focus, which ranks 69th out of 75 eligible guards.
There is a good chance that Bradford could return for the Seahawks for Week 7 at home versus the Kansas City Chiefs. This would likely cut Stephens’ reps to non-existent unless he plays on special teams, where he has only played a handful each game.
Needs More Time
The Seahawks added former undrafted running back Robert Henry Jr. from the Washington Commanders’ practice squad on Oct. 6. It was likely too soon to play him in the Week 5 loss to the San Francisco 49ers, but there was a great opportunity for him to play in the game versus the Broncos. Instead, the Seahawks barely utilized the running game and had quarterback Sam Darnold drop back 56 times. Henry remains on the 53-man roster.
Another undrafted rookie they acquired much later after the Draft, cornerback Avery Smith didn’t play in the game against the Broncos. He played 16 special teams snaps against the 49ers, where he accounted for three total tackles. When Irv Smith Jr. got off IR, he took Smith’s place on special teams coverage.
Not much changes from the rookies that remain on the practice squad roster. There aren’t any moves from the nine rookies on the practice squad due to the short week in between the 49ers and the Broncos.
Feeling Bad
Seattle’s first-round running back Jadarian Price missed his third consecutive game while he is on IR with a chest injury. He will miss the Week 7 home game versus the Kansas City Chiefs. Price will be eligible to come off IR after the game versus Kansas City, but there is no indication that he will be back by then.
The Seahawks’ third-round pick in cornerback Julian Neal is also on IR due to a hamstring injury. Week 6 was the second consecutive game that Neal missed. He will miss the game versus the Chiefs and the Week 8 road game versus the Chicago Bears. Like Price, there is no full indication that he’ll be back after the four-game minimum.
Out For the Season
The Seahawks’ first rookie to be placed on IR was safety Bud Clark, who suffered a broken ankle during the second preseason game versus the Tennessee Titans. Clark would’ve had some starting experience for the Seahawks due to Ty Okada’s injury. If he were healthy, Clark would be a reliable and dynamic weapon on defense and a player utilized all across the defense.
— Enjoy free coverage of the Super Bowl champions from Seattle Seahawks On SI —
Sign Up For the Seahawks Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Seattle Seahawks Newsletter
Add us as a preferred source on Google