Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider bet big this offseason that he could replace three key defensive players at the NFL Draft and in free agency. Defensive backs Riq Woolen and Coby Bryant left Seattle in free agency this past March, along with edge rusher Boye Mafe.
The Seahawks' front office quickly turned its attention to addressing those positions. At the 2026 NFL Draft, Seattle drafted defensive backs Julian Neal and Bud Clark. Later, towards the end of free agency, the Seahawks signed veteran defensive end Dante Fowler to a one-year, $2.5 million deal plus $2.5 million in incentives.
Seattle saved nearly $40 million in annual salary cap money by replacing Woolen, Bryant, and Mafe with Neal, Clark, and Fowler. The Seahawks are hoping each of these three new players will be difference makers on defense who can match or raise the talent ceiling of their predecessors. Here is a look at how Neal, Clark, and Fowler stack up.
Bud Clark was selected by Seattle with the 64th pick in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. The former TCU safety had a successful career while playing for the Horn Frogs. In his six-year college career, Clark finished with 214 tackles, 21 passes defensed,15 interceptions, as well as a sack and a forced fumble.
The Seahawks are putting faith in Clark to be their next prosperous rookie safety. In 2025, they selected safety Nick Emmanwori with the 35th overall pick. In his first season in Seattle, Emmanwori had a productive season with 81 tackles, 11 passes defensed, 2.5 sacks, and an interception in 14 games.
Now the Seahawks are counting on Clark to come in and contribute right away as a rookie. He will be filling the shoes of safety Coby Bryant, who had a good stint in Seattle. In four years with the Seahawks, Bryant had 227 tackles, 17 passes defensed, seven interceptions, and a sack. Clark had comparable numbers to Bryant in college, and the Seahawks are hoping that translates to the NFL.
In addition to drafting Clark, Seattle took Julian Neal with the 99th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to add depth to their defensive backfield. In five seasons of college ball at Fresno State and Arkansas, Neal had 99 tackles, 18 passes defensed, four interceptions, and a sack. He was the first corner drafted by the Seahawks since 2023, when they selected Devon Witherspoon with the fifth overall pick.
Neal has a chance to replace Riq Woolen at corner in 2026. Woolen was a solid defensive back during his time in Seattle. In four years with the Seahawks, he had 203 tackles, 53 passes defensed, 12 interceptions, and a forced fumble.
Neal will be competing with several other Seattle defensive backs to take Woolen's spot on defense. With Nehemiah Pritchett, Josh Jobe, and Noah Igbinoghene also fighting for the position. Neal's toughest competitor is expected to be Jobe, who has the most NFL starts of any of the corners battling for the starting role. Expect an intriguing fight for the corner spot when training camp begins.
After using the draft to find defensive back replacements, Seattle went to free agency to fill a hole at defensive end. Veteran defensive lineman Dante Fowler decided to sign with the Seahawks after a year with the Dallas Cowboys. In his eight-year NFL career, Fowler has 294 tackles, 58.5 sacks, 15 forced fumbles, and an interception.
Fowler will step into the defensive end position vacated by Boye Mafe, who had a strong tenure in Seattle. Mafe tallied 164 tackles, 20 sacks, and three forced fumbles in his four years with the Seahawks. Starting 34 games over that span from 2022 to 2025.
When comparing Mafe and Fowler, their numbers are similar over the last four years. Fowler has averaged about six sacks per year and 23.5 tackles per season. Mafe has averaged five sacks per year and 41 tackles per season. Although Mafe has averaged more tackles than Fowler, the two are close to each other as far as sacks the number of sacks they generate, with Fowler averaging slightly more.
In sum, the Seahawks did an effective job of finding apt replacements for the defensive players they lost in free agency. Seattle has put its trust in Fowler, Neal, and Clark to help shore up its holes on defense. Time will tell if the Seahawks' cost-saving off-season moves pay off both this season and in the long run.
This article was originally published on www.12thmanrising.com as Seattle Seahawks need these three defenders to become difference-makers fast .
