Seahawks Select Kansas WR Emmanuel Henderson Jr. in Sixth Round of 2026 NFL Draft

The defending Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks added speed and versatility to their roster Saturday, selecting Kansas wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson Jr. with the No. 199 overall pick in the sixth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.

Henderson becomes the first Jayhawk wide receiver drafted since 2010, when Kerry Meier and Dezmon Briscoe were selected.

It also marks the second straight year Seattle has taken a Kansas player in the sixth round after selecting offensive lineman Bryce Cabeldue in 2025.

A former running back recruit at Alabama, Henderson transitioned to wide receiver but saw limited action during his three seasons with the Crimson Tide. His career took off after transferring to Kansas, where he became a key weapon for quarterback Jalon Daniels in 2025.

Henderson finished his lone season in Lawrence with 45 receptions for 766 yards and five touchdowns, including a standout 214-yard performance against Cincinnati. While defenses began to key in on him late in the year, his explosiveness remained evident.

He made just as big of an impact on special teams, earning first-team All-Big 12 honors as a returner. Henderson averaged 25.3 yards per kick return and took one 94 yards to the house against West Virginia.

At 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, the Hartford, Alabama native showcased his speed at the NFL Scouting Combine, running a 4.44-second 40-yard dash.

Now, Henderson heads to Seattle as a dynamic playmaker with the ability to contribute both at receiver and in the return game.

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Kansas football has its first name off the board. San Francisco 49ers selected Enrique Cruz Jr. with the No. 179 overall pick in the fifth round, making him the first Jayhawk taken in the 2026 NFL Draft. It also continues a trend of the 49ers trusting Kansas linemen after taking Dominick Puni in 2024.

This is a big moment for Cruz and honestly a big rise from where most people had him projected. A lot of mocks had him going later, but his pre draft process changed that.

A 4.94 forty at his size, plus a 35 inch vertical and a 9 foot 8 broad jump, that is not normal for a 6 foot 6, 320 pound tackle. Those numbers had him near the top of his position group, and it got NFL teams paying attention fast. Add in a strong showing at the American Bowl and KU’s pro day, and his stock kept climbing. His path to this point is just as important.

Cruz started his career at Syracuse, moved around the line early, then lost his spot before transferring to Kansas. He came in during the 2025 offseason, earned the starting right tackle job, and really hit his stride once Big 12 play started. By the end of the year, he was an all conference honorable mention and one of the more reliable pieces on that line. Now he heads to a great situation.

San Francisco has a track record of developing offensive linemen, and they already have familiarity with Kansas guys. That matters. Cruz is going to have a real chance to come in, develop, and compete for a role early in his career.

Zooming out, this is another sign of what Kansas is building under Lance Leipold. Offensive line development has taken a jump, and NFL teams are noticing.