The No. 64 overall pick in April, Bud Clark, opened training camp with the reserves.
Mere weeks have passed since then, and he has already worked his way into first-team snaps at traditional safety and as Seattle’s third safety in dime packages.
The jump stands out because Clark is trying to crack a group that helped power the Seahawks to a Super Bowl title last season.
Seattle finished 2025 with the NFL’s No. 1 scoring defense at 17.2 points allowed per game and held opponents to a league-low 3.7 yards per carry.
Clark’s early progress gives head coach Mike Macdonald an additional piece to move around as Seattle looks for ways to make an already difficult defense less predictable.
Clark Already Earning First-Team Work
GettyMANHATTAN, KS – OCTOBER 11: Running back Joe Jackson #4 of the Kansas State Wildcats runs with the ball against safety Bud Clark #21 of the TCU Horned Frogs in the second half at Bill Snyder Family Football Stadium on October 11, 2025 in Manhattan, Kansas. (Photo by Peter Aiken/Getty Images)
There was always a playmaking element to Clark’s profile.
He intercepted 15 passes over his final four seasons at TCU, including four in 2025, and Seattle drafted him after he showed the ability to play both safety and nickel corner. He was also a three-time captain and twice earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.
The pondering thought was how quickly those traits would work in Macdonald’s defense.
Thus far, Seattle appears willing to accelerate the process.
“Bud’s one of those rookies that we’re asking a lot of him right now,” Macdonald said, via Seahawks.com.
Veteran safety Julian Love has seen the same progression. He said Clark has handled the volume of information without letting it slow him down and added that the rookie is going to “play a big role for us.”
Love is entrenched as a veteran leader, while Nick Emmanwori emerged as one of the league’s most impactful rookies last season. Devon Witherspoon gives Macdonald another movable piece who can cover, blitz and attack the run.
Clark is starting to show he belongs in that conversation, even if his exact role has yet to be settled.
Seahawks Can Turn Clark Into Another Defensive Chess Piece
GettyBALTIMORE, MARYLAND – DECEMBER 31: Defensive coordinator Mike Macdonald of the Baltimore Ravens looks on during the first half of the game against the Miami Dolphins at M&T Bank Stadium on December 31, 2023 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Todd Olszewski/Getty Images)
The easiest avenue to the field might come through Seattle’s sub-packages.
The Seahawks used five or more defensive backs on 92.5% of their defensive snaps last season, the highest rate in the NFL. They also operated from a two-high safety shell on 78.3% of snaps, another league-high figure.
That structure puts a premium on defensive backs who can handle several jobs without giving away the call before the snap.
Clark fits that mold.
He has spent camp learning the traditional safety role while also working down closer to the line of scrimmage and in the dime spot. Clark said the increased workload has “felt amazing,” adding that the different assignments are expanding his understanding of the defense.
There is also precedent for a young Seattle safety quickly becoming hard to take off the field.
Emmanwori began his rookie season with an ankle injury, then finished with 81 tackles, 11 passes defensed, 2.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss and an interception despite missing almost four full games.
Seattle used his size and athleticism across the formation rather than tying him to one traditional position.
Clark is a different type of player than Emmanwori, and Seahawks.com made that distinction when comparing the two.
The key similarity is the responsibility Seattle is willing to put on a second-round rookie.
Macdonald has said he wants players to dictate who gets on the field through their performance.
Clark has already gone from backup reps to running with the ones.
Seahawks’ 2nd-Round Pick Already Cracking First-Team Defense