Seahawks' Mafe replacement strategy in motion

The Seattle Seahawks 2026 plan at edge is far from finished after the NFL Draft, but they’re intent on building this premium position room’s depth out without wasting assets. Free agent Dante Fowler Jr. has been in talks to sign with Seattle for weeks now, but they’re waiting until the compensatory pick formula is set before making it official.

This is smart asset management. Fowler is a former top three pick in the NFL draft who’s spent 10 years in the NFL already. He knows the ins- and outs- of being a professional and the Seahawks can play him from day one. He’ll come in and contribute right away.

Within the scheme of the rest of the roster, John Schneider and Mike Macdonald get a solid Boye Mafe replacement without giving up much. At 261 pounds, Fowler fits their type as a bigger edge that doesn’t get washed away against the run, yet also can provide the “fastball” speed rushing style. They’ll need him to pin his ears back and play Mafe’s role of generating pressure especially often on 3rd downs. Macdonald has had tons of success coaching older edge players in his career, from Jadeveon Clooney’s 2023 resurgence in Baltimore to headlined DeMarcus Lawrence’s 2025 campaign that was key to Seattle’s Super Bowl LX journey.

The Seahawks also signed two UDFAs today who they had draftable grades on in Aidan Hubbard and Marvin Jones Jr., who could both be practice squad callups during the marathon of the season. They’ll be some of the key names to look at in the preseason.

After this signing, expect their edge room to look twice as deep than it did immediately following the draft on Sunday. They’ll have the veteran leadership and dependability of Fowler and the upside of young, developmental projects in Hubbard and Jones behind the returners. All three will compete for spots behind , DeMarcus Lawrence, , and even .