The Seattle Seahawks are being projected to chase more pass-rush juice in the first round of a new 2026 mock draft. Pro Football Focus slotted Seattle at No. 32 and matched the Seahawks with Texas Tech EDGE Romello Height, pointing to roster planning with Boye Mafe’s 2026 free agency looming.
Why this pick “fits” Seattle’s roster pressure
The Seahawks’ edge room could look different fast.
Over The Cap lists Mafe’s free agency as 2026 (UFA), which is exactly the kind of deadline that tends to push teams into drafting premiums early, especially pass rushers.
Seattle has also already shown it’s willing to invest in the front. In 2025 free agency, the Seahawks signed veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence to a three-year deal, a move that added experience but didn’t remove the long-term need for young pressure players.
Seattle’s logic here is pretty simple: edge rushers are expensive, and teams rarely like hitting a contract fork in the road without a contingency plan already in the building. If Mafe plays well, his price only climbs, and if talks drag into the offseason, the Seahawks could be staring at a tough choice between paying market value, using the franchise tag, or letting a key rusher walk. That’s why mock drafts often connect Seattle to a “next wave” EDGE even when the current starter is still productive. A late first-round pass rusher can be brought along as a rotational pressure piece right away, then potentially step into a bigger role if Mafe moves on in 2026.
This season, Mafe has recorded 26 total tackles, three for a loss, three QB hits, four passes defended, one forced fumble and one sack.
Who is Romello Height?
Height is the kind of prospect who screams NFL pass-rush specialist: speed, burst, bend, and disruption.
Bleacher Report’s 2026 scouting report described Height as quick and athletic as a rusher, while also noting the knock: he can be undersized for an every-down NFL edge role.
From a production snapshot standpoint, Height recorded 9 sacks in the 2025 season.
And if you want the “numbers hook” that mock-draft blurbs love, multiple reports tied to PFF data have credited Height with 35 quarterback hurries and a 21.1% rep win rate among qualified defenders this season.
Texas Tech also touted PFF-based grading context for its defense this season, mentioning Height among the nation’s top-graded defensive players in a school release.
What it means for the Seahawks (and for Mafe)
If Seattle actually went this direction in April 2026, it would send a pretty clear message: the Seahawks don’t want to enter a Mafe contract crossroads without a high-upside edge already in the pipeline.
It also adds a very real camp battle/rotation storyline:
- Height as a designated pass rusher early
- Mafe’s contract-year pressure if an extension hasn’t happened
- Seattle leaning into a deeper wave of edge bodies to keep pressure showing up late in games
What to watch next: the Seahawks’ 2026 edge plan becomes a “serial” story the moment contract talk starts. Extension rumors, tag math, and whether Seattle drafts/keeps stacking the position will also factor into both sides’ futures.
Seahawks Predicted to Replace Boye Mafe With 1st-Round Pass Rusher