The Seattle Seahawks saw several players leave via free agency this offseason. As a result, with the upcoming draft, the Seahawks can find young talent to replace the players that were key to their Super Bowl LX-winning squad.
One player that Seattle will need to replace is cornerback Riq Woolen, who left to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles. Moreover, other players who left the Seahawks were Kenneth Walker III and Coby Bryant.
Nonetheless, former Seahawks QB Matt Hasselbeck stated that among the players that left this offseason, Woolen might be the easiest to replace.
“I think with Riq Woolen, I never really thought he was going to be back,” Hasselbeck said during an April 20 appearance on Seattle Sports. “I just never really felt like it was the right fit. And it’s funny because, nationally, I think that’s the guy everyone would say, ‘Oh man, now the Eagles are a contender. Now, that guy, look at his measurables, look at his potential, look at all this stuff and how they let him go.’
“But it doesn’t really surprise me all the way because, again, I just think that there’s something about the identity and DNA of what your team is all about, whether that’s coachability, what it’s like in the locker room, or what it is. And it’s not like I’m not trying to throw shade at him at all, but sometimes it’s just not the perfect fit, whether it’s grit or whatever it is.”
Seahawks Urged to Select Kenneth Walker III Replacement
Meanwhile, the more pressing player that the Seahawks need to replace is Walker, given that Zach Charbonnet missed the start of the 2026 NFL season as he recovers from his torn ACL injury.
As for a potential replacement, Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk believes that general manager John Schneider needs to go running back with the No. 32 pick and select former Notre Dame Fighting Irish star Jadarian Price.
“It is always difficult to say a team should draft a running back in the first round. We have learned our lesson, and that is not a position you want to consider at that level of value,” Salk said in an April 19 video. “This year might be a little different for the Seahawks for a couple of reasons. It is pick No. 32, not pick No. 16. So when you say it is a first-round pick, it is, but it is very close to the second round, especially in what is generally considered a weak draft.
“This year, the running backs available include only two who are starter-quality, game-changing options. The Seahawks do need a running back after letting Kenneth Walker go, losing Zach Charbonnet to injury, and not having many other players on the roster who can carry the rock as often as someone like Jadarian Price could. I do think they should draft him at No. 32 if he is available.”
Jadarian Price Expected to Go In Round 1
In his mailbag column, Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer explained why he could see Price being a first-round pick.
“I think it’s possible that Jadarian Price, Jeremiyah Love’s backup at Notre Dame, has an outside shot to sneak in the bottom of the round, on the premise that there is a big dropoff after the two Irish backs go,” Breer wrote in his April 15 article.
“In other words, if you have a need at the position, you may view Price as your last chance to get a ready-made starter in this year’s class, so you may push him up the board a little bit.”
Matt Hasselbeck Gets Blunt on Seahawks’ Riq Woolen Decision