Seahawks Projected to Pick Notre Dame Senior Bowl Standout in 2026 NFL draft

Seattle's front office throws a curveball with the last pick in the first round in ESPN's mock draft.

Nov 22, 2025; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (4) celebrates scoring along side Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Malachi Fields (0) during the first half at Notre Dame Stadium. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

If all goes according to plan on Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks will walk into the 2026 NFL draft with another Super Bowl ring and the 32nd overall pick. Knowing John Schneider, there's at least a 50% chance that he will choose to trade down from that spot to add more picks, especially since Seattle only has four selections to make right now.

If the Seahawks do make a pick there will be three primary directions they can follow.

First, they could do the boring thing and make boosting their interior offensive line their No. 1 priority by taking a top-ranked center or right guard. Good teams tend not to use first-round picks on guards though, and this would be a bad use of resources.

The second and third options would likely move the needle more anyway - either the Seahawks can boost their edge rush rotation - which may be set to lose both Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe - or they can add another weapon to their receiver corps for Sam Darnold.

In a new two-round 2026 mock draft from ESPN, the Seahawks take the latter route - using the 32nd overall pick on Notre Dame wide receiver Malachi Fields.

Nov 1, 2025; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish wide receiver Malachi Fields (0) runs after a catch in the fourth quarter against the Boston College Eagles at Alumni Stadium. | Edward Finan-Imagn Images

ESPN on Seahawks-Malachi Fields

"One of the biggest winners at the Senior Bowl Fields parlayed a great week on top of a really strong career at Notre Dame to get into Round 1. Fields dominated defensive backs in Mobile with his size (6-foot-4, 218 pounds) and ability to win over the top. It reminded me of his game against Pitt last season, when he had seven catches for 99 yards and two scores. The Seahawks have an elite smaller receiver in Smith-Njigba, but a physical presence like Fields on the outside would keep defenses from bracketing JSN in the slot or when he's aligned outside."

There's a lot of logic here, including Seattle's long-standing affinity for prospects who distinguish themselves at the Senior Bowl.

While the Seahawks haven't used a first-round pick on a wide receiver (unless you count the ill-fated Percy Harvin trade), they have used multiple seconds, including Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. Fields also fits Seattle's personnel right, projecting as an X receiver to eventually replace Cooper Kupp, allowing JSN to continue wreaking havoc from the slot.

Malaki Fields highlights

Most of all Fields hits the right buttons on his athletic profile. In addition to elite size for a receiver, he comes with strong legs, sticky hands and a phenomenal leaping ability.

Fields put in four seasons at Virginia before transferring to Notre Dame for his Senior year. All together, he appeared in 48 college games, totaling 165 catches, 2,479 yards and 16 touchdowns.

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