Seattle Seahawks predicted to pick 'ideal prospect' for Mike Macdonald's defense in 2026 NFL draft

Heading into his second year in the NFL, all signs point to Byron Murphy II having a breakout season with the Seattle Seahawks. Breakout years are never a guarantee at this level, though - and there's always a chance that Murphy may never live up to his full potential as a first-round draft pick.

Even if Murphy does bust out in 2025, there's a case to continue building on the strength of this unit - which is after all what smart teams do to build contenders. The Philadelphia Eagles never stopped pumping up their defensive line - and look where that's gotten them.

Seattle's unit is still a long way off from being that dominant and the more firepower they can add to this unit, the better. With that in mind, a new 2026 NFL mock draft from Luke Easterling at Athlon Sports has the Seahawks taking Auburn edge Keldric Faulk with their pick, No. 12 overall.

Keldrick Faulk mocked to Seahawks

"Versatility, athleticism and physicality are always welcome in Mike Macdonald’s defense, and the trenches would get an ideal prospect in Faulk, who has the frame, skill set and experience to line up anywhere across the defensive front and wreak havoc."

Faulk is a bit big (6-foot-6, 270 pounds) for the usual Seattle DL type, but it's tough to argue with the traits he flashed during his breakout 2024 season at Auburn. In 12 games he totaled seven sacks, 11 tackles for a loss and a forced fumble. Here are the highligts.

Keldric Faulk 2024 highlights

We will have to see how they perform against a respectable offense first, but on paper Seattle looks to be only a piece of two away from having the best defense in the NFL. Adding someone who fits like Faulk to the mix could put them over the top.