The Seahawks have a good rookie class, but who is projected to be the best player in 2026 for Mike Macdonald's team?
Every NFL team wants its rookie class to make an immediate impact, and the Seattle Seahawks are no different.
With Mike Macdonald's Seahawks draft class comprised of Jadarian Price, Bud Clark, Julian Neal, Beau Stephens, Emmanuel Henderson Jr., Andre Fuller, Deven Eastern, and Michael Dansby, the expectation is that all will contribute at some point in 2026.
Of course, those taken in the first couple of rounds in Price, Clark and Neal could, if things play out the way they want in the offseason, could be starters.
But there is a lot of water to go under the bridge before we can start to think about that; however, it hasn't stopped some from making some rookie projections.
Granted, everything is a guess right now, given that we haven't even seen the rookies in full pads in an NFL practice, but for most, they have a good idea of what to expect.
And when it comes to Seattle, which rookie can fans expect to be the "best" in their first year?
For Sports Illustrated's Daniel Flick, he's gone with Price, over Clark.
"Bud Clark, Seattle’s second-round safety, is an enticing pick here, as he should slot into a starting spot in the secondary," Flick wrote. "But Price, who will replace Super Bowl MVP Kenneth Walker III and complement Zach Charbonnet in Seattle’s backfield, is too good to ignore.
"Price played second fiddle to Jeremiyah Love at Notre Dame, but his vision, footwork and elusiveness made him an efficient runner in college and should lead to similar success in the NFL."
Price looms as the one who could get the most reps, at least initially, as he covers for the injured Zach Charbonnet, while Clark could be a rotational piece for Macdonald's secondary as Julian Love and Ty Okada occupy the starting roles at safety.
In truth, you could go either Price or Clark and not have much pushback, but I offer up another name, and that's Beau Stephens.
The right guard has been touted as the one to seriously push Anthony Bradford this offseason to be the starter.
Having already gotten his feet wet at right guard during Seattle's rookie minicamp, Stephens is poised to make life incredibly difficult for Bradford this offseason as the competition for places is high.
So, yes, Price and Clark loom as the favorites to be Seattle's "best" rookie in 2026, and for me, Jadarian will simply get more starting reps in games, which will see him lead the way for the Seahawks' rookie class.