The first round of the 2026 NFL Draft kicks off April 23 in Pittsburgh. The Seattle Seahawks enter the day with just four picks, and while that certainly feels like a small class, it’s not the smallest in franchise history. Can you remember which players were selected with Seattle’s three picks in 2021?
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These are the numbers to get you ready for night one:
3: The smallest draft class in franchise history came under John Schneider in 2021 when Seattle selected just three players: wide receiver D’Wayne Eskridge, cornerback Tre Brown, and offensive lineman Stone Forsythe. This one was a little weird.
The Seahawks entered that year without a first-rounder at all, having sent their original pick and a 2021 third-rounder (plus another first) to the Jets as part of a trade package for Jamal Adams. That Adams trade was the focus early in a post-draft press conference when Pete Carroll reiterated to reporters that Adams was “their first pick.”
COVID also made for a unique class. There were players who appeared in a limited college schedule and some who didn’t play at all, and it’s one reason a Seattle team in a contention window felt more comfortable dealing those picks.
Given that context, it’s hard to believe the Seahawks would stick to just four picks in this draft, especially since…
8: Schneider has never – outside of that odd 2021 draft – drafted fewer than eight players in a single class. Having a much larger pool of picks in 2027 could make a smaller class more palatable, but there’s also the fact that…
32: Schneider traded out of pick No. 32 in 2014, the only other time he’s held that position. He sent it to the Vikings (they took Teddy Bridgewater) for second- and fourth-round picks. That became even more picks on Day 2; Schneider turned that second-rounder and a fifth into three picks (the most successful of which was wide receiver Paul Richardson at No. 45 overall).
Should the Seahawks make that pick at No. 32, most mocks have them going defense and, in particular, going with a cornerback. Tennessee’s Colton Hood and Clemson’s Avieon Terrell are popular picks, but both Brock Huard and Michael Bumpus favor San Diego State’s Chris Johnson. ESPN mocks him at No. 44 to the Jets, so a trade back could still potentially net Seattle a good scheme fit.
Other mocks have Seattle landing an edge rusher following the departure of Boye Mafe, which is interesting considering…
6: Since taking L.J. Collier at No. 29 overall in 2019, Schneider hasn’t taken a defensive end in the first round. He’s gone O-line twice, cornerback, wide receiver, and middle linebacker.
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