The Seattle Seahawks really had no choice but to find value and address needs in the 2026 NFL Draft.
In the second round, Seattle general manager John Schneider achieved both of those goals with TCU safety Bud Clark. SI on Seahawks’ Connor Benintendi argued Clark could be the top steal of the entire 2026 NFL Draft.
“If Clark does become a regular contributor in 2026, the Seahawks will have gotten exceptional value on a second-round defender in back-to-back seasons,” wrote Benintendi.
“It’s even better in Clark’s case than in Emmanwori’s, however, considering he was picked at the very end of the second round rather than at the beginning. The major plus is that the secondary was looking somewhat depleted after Bryant and Riq Woolen departed, and it’s now restocked after adding Clark, third-round cornerback Julian Neal and seventh-round defensive backs Andre Fuller and Michael Dansby.
“The Super Bowl champions got better without having to move up in the draft by giving up future assets.”
The Seahawks grabbed Clark at No. 64 overall in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. That was one of the four picks Seattle possessed entering the draft. However, Schneider made several trades to double the number of Seahawks picks to eight.
NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah ranked Clark the No. 58 prospect in the 2026 class.
In 61 games at TCU, Clark posted 214 combined tackles. He also had 15 interceptions, 21 pass defenses and 3.5 tackles for loss.
Last season, Clark registered 56 combined tackles, including 1.5 tackles for loss with seven pass defenses and four interceptions.
What Seahawks Are Getting With Safety Bud Clark
According to some pundits, the Seahawks actually grabbed Clark about where they expected the safety to come off the board.
Jeremiah projected the TCU defensive back to be a late second-round pick. Meanwhile, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein saw Clark as a third-rounder.
“A sixth-year senior, Clark’s traits won’t pop but his tape most certainly will,” wrote Zierlein. “Clark is a coverage-versatile safety in a cornerback’s body with the talent to range over the top or man up on the slot.
“He might need time to acclimate to the speed/skill of his opponents but his instincts and ball skills give him a good chance to punish mistakes on the next level as an alignment-flexible option.”
Still, that didn’t stop Benintendi from raving about the selection.
In NFL free agency, the Seahawks lost safety Coby Bryant. Benintendi sees Clark doing a lot of similar things that Bryant did for Seattle’s defense in 2025.
“Clark is a ball-hawking coverage safety who can bring the boom. That was a role Coby Bryant filled last season before leaving in free agency, and Clark could immediately step into that spot,” wrote Benintendi.
Seahawks Safety Depth Entering 2026 NFL Offseason Workouts
Seattle will return safeties Julian Love and Ty Okada from its Super Bowl roster. Those two combined to start 19 games last season.
Initially, Clark appears set for a depth role behind those two veterans. Clark will supplement the safety room along with veteran Rodney Thomas II, who the Seahawks added in NFL free agency.
Last year’s second-round pick Nick Emmanwori could work into the safety rotation as well. But Emmanwori appears set to primarily play in the slot.
Like Emmanwori, Clark has the ability to move around, which should bode well for him playing safety. That increases Clark’s opportunity to prove he will be a top steal of the 2026 NFL Draft.
The Seahawks also have AJ Finley, Maxen Hook and D’Anthony Bell at safety on their offseason roster.
Seahawks New Safety Pegged Biggest Potential Steal of NFL Draft