Seattle Seahawks projected to replace Kenneth Walker III with No. 2 RB prospect in 2026 NFL draft

If everything goes according to plan, the Seattle Seahawks should break their playoff drought and at least make it to the divisional round this coming postseason. If not, they could once again be stuck in that barren no man's land between missing out on the playoffs but not being bad enough to land a potential game-changing high pick in the following year's NFL draft.

That's exactly what happens to them according to a new projection from Pro Football Network. Their most-recent 2026 mock draft has Seattle picking at No. 12 overall in the first round. They use that pick on Colorado cornerback DJ McKinney, which would certainly be a choice as McKinney is only the 20th-ranked prospect at his position in this class.

With their next pick at No. 44 overall, the Seahawks take former Tulane running back Makhi Hughes, who would be a logical replacement for Kenneth Walker III should they decide to either trade him or not re-sign him before next March.

PFN on Seahawks-Makhi Hughes projection

"Kenneth Walker III has regressed since his rookie season, and Zach Charbonnet might not be an optimal replacement. As such, Makhi Hughes could be on the Seahawks’ radar in a similar range next April. Hughes is dynamic, well-leveraged, and has third-down value."

Hughes fits the Seattle prototype at the position, measuring in at 5-foot-11, 210 pounds. He is ranked second at running back in his class behind Jeremiyah Love from Notre Dame.

Hughes played the last two seasons at Tulane, where he put up a total of 2,779 rushing yards on 523 attempts (5.3 yards per carry) and scored 22 touchdowns.

Hughes has since transferred to Oregon for the 2025 season, so if the Seahawks are interested they'll have a chance to see him play not far from their own backyard.

One element they'd want to follow is his development in pass protection - an area where Walker has struggled and they'll likely be looking to uprade if they do move on from him. While he's RB2 in the class, Hughes is only ranked the 25th best pass blocker at his position.