Seahawks Projected To Land 20-Year-Old Defensive Stud in 2026 NFL Draft
While there’s still plenty left for Seahawks fans to focus on in the 2025 season, it’s never too early for a mock draft. ESPN recently released a 2026 NFL mock draft, and it linked Seattle to an interesting prospect. As always, a lot will change between now and April, but what makes this mock draft stand out is that it could be a clue for how the Seahawks handle several other offseason decisions.
Seattle would hold the No. 27 overall pick based on their current record. At that spot, Matt Miller, an NFL draft analyst for ESPN, paired the Seahawks with Brandon Cisse, a cornerback at the University of South Carolina.
Brandon Cisse’s Draft Profile
Cisse is in his junior year at South Carolina. He’s already had a strong season for the Gamecocks, but at just 20 years old, he could offer a lot of upside for growth even after being drafted. In 10 games this season, Cisse has 22 tackles, four pass deflections, and one interception. He’s also added 1.5 tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
“Sometimes a prospect’s skill set fits so perfectly with an NFL team that the match seems inevitable,” Miller writes for ESPN. “That’s the case with Cisse and Mike Macdonald’s defense in Seattle. The explosive, quick Cisse has become one of the nation’s top cornerbacks after transferring from NC State, allowing only seven completions on 23 passes into his coverage while picking off one pass.”
Charlie Campbell, a senior draft analyst for WalterFootball, discussed Cisse’s draft stock with five NFL teams and writes, “[Four teams] had him projected to be a late first-round or early second-round pick, and one team had him as a second-rounder.” Campbell adds, “With a quality skill set and good tape, I have Cisse going in the back half of the first round of my latest 2026 NFL Mock Draft.”
Cisse is listed at 6-feet, 190 pounds. While not a physical outlier, that’s sufficient NFL size for a cornerback. In an article for 247Sports, Hale McGranahan says Cisse has played both on the boundary and in the slot. “A majority of [Cisse’s] 361 snaps in 2024 were at an outside cornerback position,” McGranahan says, adding, “Most of his action in 2023 was from a slot position.”
What the Draft Pick Means for the Seahawks
Seattle’s secondary will be in an ambiguous place once the 2025 season ends. Riq Woolen and Josh Jobe are both set to become unrestricted free agents in the offseason. If John Schneider were to spend his 2026 first-round pick on Cisse, it could mean Woolen and Jobe both hit the open market.
The Athletic’s Michael- Shawn Dugar wrote that the decision to re-sign the cornerback duo remains up in the air. That’s to be expected. It’s an offseason issue, not one worth dealing with while the Seahawks push for an NFC West title.
Dugar adds that two other cornerbacks on Seattle’s roster, Nehemiah Pritchett and Derion Kendrick, will factor into the decision as well. “There’s a scenario in which Seattle would choose between Jobe and Woolen, then re-sign Kendrick on a near-minimum contract (Jobe re-signed on a $2 million deal last year) as a potential replacement for the other,” he writes.
A few weeks ago, Woolen seemed all but gone. He was embroiled in trade speculation early in the season due to poor play. However, he’s performed much better over the last few weeks, making a possible decision between him and Jobe more difficult for Seattle.
ESPN’s Matt Miller sees the future crossroads too, especially if Seattle pursues a cornerback in the 2026 NFL Draft. He writes, “Devon Witherspoon is a star at one corner spot, but Cisse would balance out the secondary opposite him, especially with Riq Woolen set to become an unrestricted free agent.”
Falcons Get Positive News on Starters Ahead of Saints Matchup
The Atlanta Falcons are looking to get back on track after losing their last five games and falling to 3-7 on the season. One major hurdle that has consistently knocked them down this year has been a growing injury report that has been relentless.
Thursday’s report provided a little bit of relief for the Falcons.
They will be without quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and (likely) Drake London on Sunday, but several more players have added their names to the group of ones to watch.
Insider linebacker Josh Woods (hamstring) and defensive lineman Zach Harrison (knee) were both absent for a second-straight practice after missing Sunday’s game due to injury. This indicates their status for Sunday is in doubt.
Other than those players, the Falcons appeared to get some positive news on the injury front.
Rookie safety Xavier Watts (illness) was sick on Wednesday, while right guard Chris Lindstrom (foot) sat out as he continues to heal from his foot injury from New England. Both players were back on the field Thursday, with the All-Pro guard listed as limited. A positive sign for both.
Left guard Matthew Bergeron (ankle) was back on the practice field for the first time since his injury in New England on Wednesday, and he was back out there on Thursday. He told the media after practice that he is hopeful that he will play in New Orleans, but that they will continue to test out his health as the week continues.
Starting cornerback Mike Hughes was also a full participant again on Thursday, which could signal a return for the veteran after missing the Falcons’ last two games.
Linebacker Divine Deablo (forearm) was officially designated to return on Wednesday and was seen on the field with a rather large club on his left forearm. Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is hopeful he could return to action on Sunday for the first time since his fracture against San Francisco, and
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“Your common sense says, he's going to struggle, maybe tackling or he's going to struggle catching the ball or wrapping up, but it was not the case for him,” Ulbrich said. “Divine is fortunate in the fact that he has tremendous length, and a lot of times that length can help you overcome something like a club on your hand.”
Deablo’s fitness will be an important thing to monitor, but he was listed as a full participant, signaling confidence that he could be back this weekend.
Edge rusher Leonard Floyd (hamstring) and linebacker Malik Verdon (shoulder) were also back on the practice field in a limited capacity for the first time in over a week, and Floyd was limited again on Thursday while Verdon was a full participant.
Cornerback Dee Alford (concussion) was practicing again, as he was all last week, but remains in the league-mandated protocol. He did elevate from limited participant to full participant, which could mean he’s close to a return.
See below for the full injury report from Thursday’s practice ahead of the Falcons’ Week 12 trip to New Orleans.
