Super Bowl Seahawks Open OTAs With High Hopes For Rookie DB

The reigning Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks are ready to get back to work on the field, with a series of have four OTA sessions (the first starting here on May 26), with mandarory minicamp (June 9-11 right around the corner.)

And while some aspects of the team and the roster, are established and obvious, there are also high hopes for some of the guys who are replacing fellas who departed via free agency.

Among those: Safety Bud Clark.

The Seahawks used the No. 64 overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft on Clark, the former TCU safety who built his reputation on instincts, versatility and takeaway production.

Seattle had already attacked its offensive need early in the draft - first-round running back Jadarian Price will certainly be drawing a lot of eyeballs during workouts - but adding Clark gives coach Mike Macdonald’s defense another movable piece for a unit that loves to create confusion while showing off speed and physicality.

Clark seems capable of all of that.

Clark isn’t the youngest rookie in the class at 24, but that also comes with a major bonus. He’s not some raw projection.

He played 61 games at TCU, started 49 of them and served as a multi-year captain for the Horned Frogs. 

His production backs it up, too. Clark finished his TCU career with 214 tackles, 138 solo stops, 3.5 tackles for loss, 21 pass breakups and 15 interceptions, including two returned for touchdowns.

Last season, he piled up 56 tackles, 31 solo tackles, seven pass breakups and four picks.

Clark’s value comes from how many jobs he can handle. At TCU, he lined up at safety, nickel, slot corner, boundary corner and even outside linebacker looks when the scheme demanded it.

That flexibility should fit perfectly with Seattle’s “Dark Side Defense,” where disguises and matchup answers matter as much as traditional position labels. ... and where last year, the Seahawks were the club that allowed the fewest points in the league.

He probably doesn’t have to start immediately, and that may actually help. Seattle already has defensive depth, and Ty Okada is projected to take over the spot left behind by Coby Bryant’s move to the Chicago Bears.

But Clark can still get on the field quickly as a rotational safety, slot option, matchup defender and special package weapon.

The comparison point is clear. Seattle used Nick Emmanwori in multiple roles before he settled into a bigger nickel role, and Clark could follow a similar path. If injuries hit, he’s experienced enough to step in without the moment swallowing him.

There are areas to clean up. Clark needs to become a more consistent tackler, sharpen his man coverage technique and keep his frame healthy through an NFL season. But the foundation is nasty.

Bud Clark left TCU as a proven playmaker. In Seattle, he might become the kind of rookie defender nobody wants to find pre-snap. ... and he hopes to begin showing off his promise this week at OTAs.