Fall is here, and football season is nearing its halfway point at both the college and professional level. Both levels of the sport appear to be having chaotic seasons where parity feels like the best way to describe the collective hunts for playoff spots and championship hopes.
With another big Saturday with big games that have massive postseason implications, it’s a great time to take another look at four more prospects that I am keeping my eye on for the Seahawks in the 2026 NFL draft.
Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State
While Jeremiah
Smtih gets all the publicity and love (and rightfully deserved), he’s not the only 1st round talent that Ohio State continues to churn out at the wide receiver position. Tate, kind of like Jaxon Smith-Njigba, has been an underrated Buckeye that does nothing but win and produce.
The 6-3, 191lbs junior has continued to build off his team’s strong national title run last year, becoming option 1B in the passing game with Smith. In seven games, Tate has 34 receptions for 587 yards (17.3 ypr) and six touchdowns. Known more for his deep threat prowess and ability to win jump balls, Tate has turned heads this season with immense growth in his precision route running, and ability to gain yards after the catch.
This year’s Seahawks team is clearly lacking in a consistent deep threat besides JSN, and I can’t think of a better university to look to in next year’s draft for a partner in crime for Smith-Njigba.
Anthony Hill Jr, LB, Texas
Before Arvell Reese jumped onto the scene this year for the Buckeyes, it was Anthony Hill Jr who was the star linebacker to watch. While this season has not ended up the way he or his team wanted, I still see the potential of a dominant defensive weapon in Hill.
Last year as an All-American, Hill had 113 tackles, a whopping 17 tackles for loss, and eight sacks as his Longhorns made it to the final four of the CFP. This year, Anthony has 49 tackles, only one tackle for loss, and zero sacks. It’s hard not to see those numbers and not wonder what is going on. This drop in production will need to be explained, although immense focus from opposing offenses to try and neutralize him, has allowed his teammates to step up as Texas still has a really strong defense.
Before the year, I thought Hill Jr was a lock to be a top 15 pick. Now, I could see him go anywhere from the 20’s to the 50’s, and he may fit in the range the Seahawks could be looking at. The production is not there right now as the game wrecker he was in 2024, but I believe the talent is there, and that Mike Macdonald may be the perfect fit to get the best out of him.
David Bailey, EDGE, Texas Tech
As one of the more highly sought after transfer additions after three seasons at Stanford, Bailey has turned into one of the most feared pass rushers in the country at Texas Tech. With the Red Raiders in their highly compensated defense thanks to NIL, Bailey has racked up 12.5 TFL’s and 10.5 sacks through just seven games for his 6-1 Red Raiders.
At 6-3 250lbs, Bailey is more of an explosive pass rushing specialist than an every down run stuffer. He is also going to be 23 years old by week one of next season, so that could heavily impact his draft stock once teams and scouts start to dissect these players. The one dimensional style and age will have many Seahawks fans pointing at the next Darrell Taylor. I get that, but I also think that Bailey’s durability (will have played in over 40 games by season’s end) and his skillset are a perfect fit for an edge group that could benefit from one speed-first edge rusher.
Parker Brailsford, C, Alabama
Who says you can’t go back home? After a magical freshman season at Washington that saw Brailsford’s Huskies win the Jim Moore award and make a run to the national championship game, Parker followed Kalen DeBoer to Alabama. In his two seasons in Tuscaloosa, Brailsford has continued to grow and be successful running point along the offensive line, while DeBoer appears to have one of the best teams in the country again.
Behind Brailsford, the Crimson Tide are averaging 35.1 ppg on the year. The Seahawks are having a very successful year offensively, but it is hard not to look at the interior offensive line (not including Grey Zabel) as a weakness. If the Seahawks can find a cheap way to improve the IOL, they could see their running game, and their offense explode to levels we have not seen this franchise ever reach.
