Seahawks stay patient at No. 32 as the draft opens on a clear need
The word seahawks carried extra weight Thursday night as the Seattle Seahawks entered the 2026 NFL Draft with only four picks and a decision to make: move back for volume, or stay put and trust the board. They stayed at No. 32 and chose Notre Dame running back Jadarian Price, a move that immediately shifted the conversation from trade value to fit.
Why did the Seahawks stay at No. 32?
General manager John Schneider had signaled interest in trading back to add selections, but that door did not open the way the team may have hoped. After several teams moved down late in Round 1, the Seahawks remained at their spot and made the selection. The choice of Price gave the club its first-round answer at a position that stood out as a need.
For a team entering the draft with limited room for error, the pick reflected a simple calculation: secure a player who can help now, even if it means passing on the added flexibility that comes with a trade-back. The seahawks decision also fit the narrow shape of their draft board, where only four total selections made each turn more valuable.
What does Jadarian Price bring to Seattle?
Price arrived with a profile that matches the role Seattle appeared to need. One draft evaluation called him a three-down player who can block, catch and run in any direction an offensive coordinator wants. That same evaluation framed him as a logical pick for a young, talented team with a clear hole at running back.
Another assessment described his style in detail: low pads, quick changes of gear, and the ability to anticipate lanes and cut through them. He also uses blocking well to create room. His college workload was modest, averaging fewer than 10 offensive touches per game in both 2024 and 2025, which leaves him with relatively fresh mileage entering the league.
That combination of traits helps explain why the seahawks could view the pick as more than a simple replacement move. It is also a reflection of how a team can try to remain competitive while adjusting to change in the backfield.
How does this fit into the bigger draft picture?
The broader story is one of scarcity. Seattle came into the draft with only four picks across three days, a structure that naturally pushes decision-makers toward caution. When a team has that few opportunities, every choice has to answer an immediate question. In this case, the answer was running back.
The move also came in a draft where Price’s teammate Jeremiyah Love went at No. 3 to the Arizona Cardinals, creating a notable school connection at the top of the round. That detail added context to the selection, but Seattle’s main concern was simpler: fill a need without waiting for another chance that might never come.
In that sense, the seahawks kept faith with the idea that good teams can keep getting better by acting decisively when the board lines up. The choice did not solve every roster issue, but it did address one of the most visible ones.
What questions remain after the first-round pick?
The first-round move leaves Seattle’s draft still shaped by the same constraint it faced at the start: limited selections and little margin for misfires. The team will need the rest of its picks to stretch as far as possible, whether that means immediate depth or long-term development.
There is also the question of whether Seattle’s patience at No. 32 will prove more valuable than the extra draft capital it could have gained by moving down. For now, the club chose certainty over accumulation. The seahawks have their first answer, but the rest of the draft will determine how complete that answer becomes.
Image caption: Seahawks keep a narrow draft board in focus after staying at No. 32 and selecting Jadarian Price.
