The Seattle Seahawks may have the fewest picks in the 2026 NFL Draft, but the Super Bowl champions are in an advantageous position of not having too many glaring needs on their roster. While cornerback, running back, edge rusher, and possibly safety are positions that figure to be at the top of the “needs” list, there’s every bit the chance Seattle looks for players who are more “best player available” than specifically targeting a position with less depth.
NFL Draft expert and occasional Field Gulls
contributor Doug Farrar did a Q&A in the new SB Nation NFL Feed on Friday. I asked about a projected late first-round pick out of Ohio State who could be a possible fit for the Seahawks. Here’s Doug’s take on defensive tackle Kayden McDonald:
When you have a coach like Mike Macdonald who calls so much dime and big nickel, the guys up front had better be gap-versatile. McDonald is a base two-gapper who can beat run fits up all day, and that fits Seattle’s archetype. You need linemen who can play at least a gap and a half.
Also, based on how he was used last season, I think he’s getting short shrift as a pass-rusher. He’s not just a two-down run defender!
Interior defensive line is a position of strength for the Seahawks, but dig a little deeper and there might be a long-term issue at hand. While Byron Murphy II figures to be the next Seahawks draft success in line for a contract extension after Devon Witherspoon, Leonard Williams is entering the final year of his contract, and Jarran Reed is entering his age 35 season with two years remaining on his deal. Rylie Mills excited everyone with his Super Bowl sack of Drake Maye but otherwise spent most of his rookie season recovering from knee surgery.
At 326 lbs, McDonald is more of a 0/1-tech nose tackle who will line up opposite the center. He may not have gotten the same attention as Sonny Styles, Arvell Reese, and Caleb Downs on Ohio State’s comically stacked defense, but he was an important part of their ability to control the line of scrimmage.
Here’s some more scouting from The Ringer’s Todd McShay:
McDonald is an outstanding run defender and a deceptively disruptive pass rusher. He’s a scheme-versatile nose tackle who locates the ball, gets off blocks, and wraps up. He has the size, strength, and low center of gravity to hold his ground when he plays with good pad level, but he doesn’t just take up space and clog the middle. He’s quick for his size and slips blocks—he had 65 tackles last season (fifth best at Ohio State), including nine TFL. He didn’t run at the combine, and he doesn’t have great range, but he chases with good effort.
He’s a better run defender than pass rusher, but he had three sacks in 2025, and he can affect the quarterback. He’s a powerful bull rusher who can push the pocket and get off blocks at the top of his rush. He flashes the ability to win with his hands. He doesn’t gear down when he gets doubled and doesn’t always win with his first move. His arms are short, but he gets his hands up when he isn’t going to reach the quarterback.
He’s quicker than he is fast, and he’s tight in space, which hinders his ability to finish as a pass rusher. He plays high and gives up ground on occasion. He’s an ascending player coming off a breakout junior season in 2025, when he was named a unanimous All-American and the Big Ten Conference’s Defensive Lineman of the Year.
Yes, it’s probably unnecessary for the Seahawks to use their first-round pick at a position that is not a must to address, but talent is talent is talent and Seattle should at least think about the long-term on the defensive interior. They were fortunate to have Williams and Murphy available for all of 2025, whereas Reed missed a month with a hand injury, so depth was not really a worry. However, in our limited sample size of the Seahawks not having Murphy and/or Williams in 2024, the results were not pretty. McDonald might be someone to keep an eye on as another “invest in the trenches” target for Seattle on the defensive side of the ball.
You can check out Doug’s full Q&A on SBNation.com!
