Seahawks Team Needs For The 2026 Offseason: Prioritize Pass Catchers For Sam Darnold
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Seahawks Team Needs For The 2026 Offseason: Prioritize Pass Catchers For Sam Darnold

Ian Hartitz breaks down what the Seahawks need to focus on in the 2026 offseason to build on their wildly successful 2025 campaign.

The Seahawks were expected to be a competitive football team in 2025, but it's doubtful even their most optimistic fans saw this squad setting a new franchise record for regular-season wins. Throw in an NFL-best +191 point differential, weekly fireworks from Offensive Player of the Year Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and one of the best defenses in recent memory—and you had anyone's idea of an elite professional football team.

  • 2025: 14-3 (+191 point differential, preseason win total: 8.5)
  • Points per game: 28.4 (third)
  • EPA per pass: +0.14 (8th)
  • EPA per rush: -0.08 (22nd)
  • Points per game against: 17.2 (first)
  • EPA per pass against: -0.07 (fifth)
  • EPA per rush against: -0.21 (first)

And here's the wild part: Seattle really doesn't have many roster holes to worry about this offseason, despite having the fourth-most cap space to work with in the league! Things will be tougher with a first-place schedule to deal with; just realize the Seahawks look a lot like a potential preseason Super Bowl favorite entering 2026.

What Do The Seattle Seahawks Need To Address Ahead of 2026?

Need 1: Secondary

This is the one position group where Seattle actually does have some work to do: Each of their only three free agents to play at least 70% of the team's snaps last season, Coby Bryant, Josh Jobe and Tariq Woolen, are unrestricted free agents. This leaves Seattle with the league's fourth-cheapest cornerback room entering 2026, and there isn't exactly a ton of young talent waiting in the wings due to the team drafting just two defensive backs in Rounds 1-3 during the last five drafts combined. 

Simply bringing back all parties involved might just do the trick. This was a top-five pass defense by virtually any measure last season after all.

Need 2: Wide Receiver

JSN's massive 2025 proved that he's capable of serving as an elite No. 1 receiver at the professional level, but there is work to be done behind him:

  • Soon-to-be 33-year-old Cooper Kupp averaged a career-low 37.1 yards per game and is a cut candidate.
  • Rashid Shaheed is hitting free agency and struggled to get going on offense despite his special teams excellence.
  • Tory Horton flashed some big-play ability before suffering a season-ending shin injury, but entrusting him with the No. 2 receiver job feels like a reach.

All in all, the Seahawks are one of just nine teams with a pass-catcher budget under $30 million for next season when also factoring tight ends into the equation. Getting more out of this group behind Smith-Njigba will be paramount to keeping the good version of Sam Darnold around for as long as possible.

Need 3: Interior Offensive Line

This offensive line as a whole emerged as a quality unit down the stretch, but a look at each individual's performance demonstrates the reality that we still aren't exactly looking at one of the league's more elite groups of big uglies.

The team isn't actually facing any meaningful free agent questions, but if we've learned anything about Darnold over the years, it's that interior pressure can turn him back into a pumpkin quicker than anything. Getting stronger up the middle should be a yearly priority.

Honorable Mention

Running back certainly could have been one of the top-three needs with Kenneth Walker hitting free agency and Zach Charbonnet recovering from a torn ACL. Of course, it'd make sense if the Seahawks simply re-sign the artist known as K9, who remains one of the league's best pure tackle breakers and made more than a few massive plays for the offense down the stretch of 2025.

If I Were The GM …

I'd look to come away with a talented corner at the end of Round 1. Guys like South Carolina CB Brandon Cisse and Tennessee CB Colton Hood are certainly in play, while it'd likely take a trade-up to get upper-echelon talents like Clemson CB Avieon Terrell, LSU CB Mansoor Delane or Tennessee CB Jermod McCoy. After coming away with a quality defensive back, focusing on adding resources to any and all areas of an offense that really leaned on JSN more games than not last season would be ideal.

Players Mentioned in this Article

  1. Sam Darnold
    SamDarnold
    QBSEASEA
    PPG
    9.50
    Proj
    15.34
  2. Kenneth Walker
    KennethWalker
    RBSEASEA
    PPG
    11.19
    Proj
    15.49
  3. Jaxon Smith-Njigba
    JaxonSmith-Njigba
    WRSEASEA
    PPG
    12.08
    Proj
    16.17
  4. Coby Bryant
    CobyBryant
    FSSEASEA
    PPG
    -0.13