Boye Mafe, Seattle Seahawks
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(Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
The upcoming NFL Draft will allow theSeattle Seahawks to fill the holes left by players who were key in their Super LX run, but left this offseason in free agency.
One player who left was edge rusher Boye Mafe, who signed a three-year, $60 million contract with the Cincinnati Bengals,per The Athletic.
Mafe turned in a solid 2025 season for Seattle,finishing with a 69.2 overall PFF grade, which placed him 46th among 115 edge defenders. He posted a 68.7 pass-rush grade and a 65.1 mark against the run.
As a pass rusher, he generated 40 total pressures, highlighted by two sacks, 36 hurries, and a pair of hits. He also contributed 21 solo tackles in run defense and came away with one forced fumble.
Nonetheless, to replace this production, Evan Winter of A to Z Sports predicted the Seahawks will take former Oklahoma Sooners edge rusher R Mason Thomas.
“The Seahawks lost Boye Mafe in free agency and DeMarcus Lawrence turns 34 a few days after the draft, so Mike Macdonald’s defense needs a pass rusher for both the short- and long-term,”Winter wrote in A to Z Sports’ mock draft thatwas published on April 5.
“Enter R Mason Thomas, who’s one of the draft’s twitchiest and fiercest pass rushers. This would be the first time the Seahawks picked an EDGE in the first round under Macdonald, so there’s not much precedent to go off of when talking about body style and whatnot.”
R Mason Thomas Would Fit Seattle’s Defensive System
Thomas put together a strong 2025 season for the Sooners,earning an 85.3 overall PFF grade. He was especially effective rushing the passer, posting a 90.4 grade, while his run-defense grade was 79.4.
He finished with 28 total pressures, including six sacks, 19 hurries, and three hits. Against the run, he added 14 solo tackles and forced one fumble. As a result, Winter believes that this production would be ideal for Seattle to help replace Mafe.
“What is known, however, is Mason Thomas’ fit in this defense,” Winter added. “He’d immediately give the pass a rush a boost as a specialist and can certainly turn into an early-down defender as time progresses. It would be so much fun watching Macdonald help Mason Thomas wreak havoc against opposing offenses.”
Seahawks Get Clear Warning Ahead of NFL Draft
Like every draft, some prospects slide further than expected, which can tempt teams to move up for a player they never thought would be within reach.
That could be the case here, but Seattle Sports’ Mike Salk pointed out that if the Seahawks consider trading up, it shouldn’t come at the expense of one key factor.
“The NFL draft is less than three weeks away, and one of the things I keep hearing is people excited about the idea of the Seattle Seahawks trading up from pick No. 32 in the first round,”Salk wrote in his article thatwas published on April 4.
“I’m not necessarily opposedthe idea of trading up, but I want to throw two big caveats in that. One, I’m not giving up any of the picks from next year, certainly not next year’s first round. Next year is supposed to be an incredible draft.
“This is supposed to be a mediocre draft where there are starters, not stars. If you got the opportunity to get stars next year, I want to take as many of those as possible, so please do not trade away certainly your first-round pick for next year.”