The Seahawks don’t have much room for passengers, which is exactly why a few long-shot names may have a real path to stick around.
Seattle was one of the league’s cleanest operations last season, and that kind of roster stability changes the math. When a team is already in good shape, the margin for error gets smaller - but the chances for a well-chosen underdog can get bigger too. John Schneider and Mike Macdonald clearly saw something in these players, and with a few thin spots on the roster, that matters.
One of the more intriguing names is Emmanuel Henderson Jr. The sixth-round receiver reportedly made some noise in minicamp after a rougher stretch at OTAs.
He’s not walking into a crowded lane, either. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is the clear centerpiece at wideout, and with Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed in the mix, there isn’t much obvious room left for another pass catcher to carve out a major offensive role in 2026.
But Henderson Jr. doesn’t need a huge role to matter. He’s built as a big-play option, the kind of situational threat who can stretch the field for Sam Darnold.
There’s also a special teams angle here: Shaheed is getting paid, and if Henderson Jr. can handle some of those snaps, it helps keep Shaheed fresher for the moments that count. Henderson Jr. also brings 14 special teams tackles to the table.
Emanuel Wilson is in a different kind of fight. Seattle brought in the former Green Bay Packers backup running back to help cover for the injured Zach Charbonnet and the departed Kenneth Walker III, and then the Seahawks added Jadarian Price in the draft. That made Wilson look like a temporary fix at first glance.
Not so fast. With all the attention on Price and George Holani, Seattle may prefer not to lean too hard on a rookie immediately.
Holani fits better as a passing-down back, while Wilson offers a steadier early-season option if the Seahawks want to ease Price into the load. Wilson has also been efficient throughout his career, averaging 4.5 yards per carry.
He might not be around by the end of the year, but he has a legitimate case to open it on the roster.
Then there’s Andre Fuller, who gives Seattle something a little different in the secondary. The Seahawks lost Riq Woolen in free agency and paid Josh Jobe, who is set to start opposite Devon Witherspoon. Nick Emmanwori and Noah Igbinoghene are handling things in the slot, but the boundary depth chart still has some room for a fight.
Fuller brings a similar type of profile to Woolen, even if he is three inches shorter. He’s a big, physical jumbo corner, and his background at Toledo makes him worth a look, especially with that program’s recent track record of producing starting-caliber corners. Seattle also drafted Michael Dansby in the seventh round, but Fuller’s physical traits and overall body of work make him the more appealing bet because he offers a different look than what the roster already has.
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