The one position the Seahawks must address through the NFL Draft this week

TL;DR

The Seattle Seahawks need to address their cornerback position in the upcoming NFL Draft due to the departure of Riq Woolen. With limited draft picks, they are focusing on finding a suitable replacement to maintain their defensive strength.

Key points

Seattle Seahawks need a cornerback in the NFL Draft
Riq Woolen's departure creates a gap in the roster
Limited draft picks for the Seahawks this year
Potential cornerback options include Chris Johnson and Colton Hood
Current cornerback depth is considered shaky

Seattle Seahawks

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - FEBRUARY 27: Colton Hood #DB14 of Tennessee participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Cooper Neill/Getty Images) | Getty Images The Seattle Seahawks have few draft picks to play with come Thursday’s NFL Draft. Fortunately, the Super Bowl champions have so few pressing needs that it’s not cause for panic. One of Seattle’s top needs—at least in my opinion—is cornerback. A common refrain I’ve heard regarding the exit of Riq Woolen in free agency is that Riq eventually became the third corner on the depth chart after ceding his starting role to Josh Jobe. From Week 2 onward, Jobe was the official starter and Woolen was “relegated” to CB3. Sort of? But it’s misleading. Riq was not an ordinary third option at cornerback, and a times he was outsnapping Jobe. Their snap count difference in the regular season was Jobe +1. In the playoffs it was Woolen +26. Some “CB3” set-up.

Josh Jobe vs. Riq Woolen snap count comparison

Q&A

Why do the Seahawks need a cornerback in the NFL Draft?

The Seahawks lost Riq Woolen, who played significant snaps, creating a gap in their cornerback depth that needs to be filled.

Who are the potential cornerbacks the Seahawks might draft?

The Seahawks are considering cornerbacks like Chris Johnson, Avieon Terrell, Colton Hood, and Brandon Cisse for their first pick.

How did Riq Woolen's performance impact the Seahawks' defense?

Riq Woolen was a key player who contributed starter-level snaps, making his exit a significant loss for the Seahawks' defensive lineup.

What challenges does the Seahawks' cornerback room face after Woolen's departure?

The cornerback room is currently shaky, with limited experience and depth beyond Josh Jobe and Devon Witherspoon, raising concerns about their defensive capabilities.

Game number	Josh Jobe	Riq Woolen
Game 1	61	76
Game 2	60	59
Game 3	67	72
Game 4	67	62
Game 5	61	37
Game 6	75	0
Game 7	76	75
Game 8	15	55
Game 9	0	72
Game 10	31	35
Game 11	59	48
Game 12	32	39
Game 13	49	43
Game 14	49	37
Game 15	65	42
Game 16	26	37
Game 17	25	28
NFC Divisional Round	34	44
NFC Championship Game	24	52
Super Bowl	61	49
Discounting the one game each Woolen and Jobe missed, it was practically even in terms of how many times each cornerback outsnapped the other. Seattle did not lose “CB3” on the depth chart; they lost a corner who played starter-level snaps and was an integral part of the defense no matter how much you want to bemoan his penalties and concentration issues. If it was a true benching then we would’ve seen far more Nehemiah Pritchett than what actually happened. I think it’ll be harder to play five and six DB looks moving forward unless they find a requisite replacement.
Don’t conflate “Mike Macdonald’s scheme is so good it can create a lot of plug-and-play situations” with “Mike Macdonald can just have anyone on the roster and there’s no need to add high-potential talent.” Even Macdonald’s brilliance and strategy can be compromised when he has Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker (neither of whom is a bad player necessarily, but just bad fits) as his starting linebackers before jettisoning both mid-season.
Seattle’s CB room at present is shaky beyond Jobe and Devon Witherspoon. Noah Igbinoghene has been in the league since 2020 and has a grand total of one season in which he played a majority of his team’s defensive snaps. Nehemiah Pritchett has barely played over his first two seasons in Seattle, although at least his limited reps this year were better than his rookie season. Shemar Jean-Charles was hurt and didn’t make the active roster last season and the only time he saw’s ever seen significant defensive action was on an injury-riddled 5-12 New Orleans Saints squad. Maybe Nick Emmanwori could absorb some boundary corner snaps in addition to his slot work but I wouldn’t count on it.
The frustrations over Woolen’s worst mishaps should not bleed into how well he played over entire games, and he was also the only cornerback on the roster over six feet tall—he provided a physical advantage with his unique combo of height, speed, and long arms. Either somehow, someway, the Seahawks already have a good third corner on the team among a practice squad player, a draft pick who’s barely seen the field, and a journeyman whose only starting spell came via injury, or the CB room in 2026 is set to be a downgrade from 2025 pending what they do in the draft. There’s a natural tendency to overhype the bottom-end of the roster on good teams, but the odds are overwhelmingly against the bottom-end becoming viable starters.
Seattle stacked their 30 visits with cornerbacks and met with plenty of them at the combine. I don’t think it’s a smokescreen. This is one of the few positions in this year’s class that is well-stocked to the point where Seattle has some viable options outside of their top pick. Chris Johnson, Avieon Terrell, Colton Hood, and Brandon Cisse should all be in the general range of where the Seahawks will make their first pick. Arizona’s Treydan Stukes can be either a safety or corner and projects for the second round. Miami’s Keionte Scott and Indiana’s D’Angelo Ponds played for a national title and either one could be a Round 2 option. Arkansas’ Julian Neal is a big-bodied corner with speed and will likely be available at pick 96. For local options, Washington’s Tacario Davis and Ephesians Prysock are in late Day 2/early Day 3 territory, although Seattle’s Day 3 inventory consists of just a sixth-rounder at the moment.
I don’t care how it happens, which round it occurs, but the Seahawks should approach this draft with cornerback in mind for one of their handful of picks.

The one position the Seahawks must address through the NFL Draft this week

TL;DR

Key points

Josh Jobe vs. Riq Woolen snap count comparison

Q&A

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