The Seattle Seahawks are trading away draft picks to acquire Indianapolis Colts offensive lineman Quenton Nelson, but the team is still holding on to its first-round pick.

The Seahawks have a boatload of picks to work with in next year's draft, where they will be looking to add some youth to their pass rush unit.

"Dante Fowler Jr. hasn't appropriately replaced Boye Mafe for the Seattle Seahawks. Uchenna Nwosu is also on an expiring contract. Expect GM John Schneider to invest heavily at pass rusher again this coming offseason," NFL Draft On SI contributor Justin Melo wrote.

Seahawks Need Pass Rush Upgrades in Draft

The Seahawks have a lot of experience at the pass-rushing positions, but free agency is going to come sooner rather than later for several of them. Uchenna Nwosu is not under contract for the 2027 season, and neither is DeMarcus Lawrence, who announced his retirement at the end of the season, meaning he won't be back next year either.

Dante Fowler Jr., the No. 3 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft, has stepped in to replace Boye Mafe, who left in free agency for the Cincinnati Bengals, but he is not off to a great start in his Seahawks career. Fowler has managed to record just one tackle in seven games so far for the Seahawks.

Players like Boubacar Traore from Notre Dame and Yhonzae Pierre from Alabama could make sense for the Seahawks, depending on where they end up in the first round and where these prospects line up on the big board at the end of April.

Needless to say, the Seahawks should be looking at pass rushers on each day of the draft, as bringing in talent across the board should help them, not just on defense but on special teams as well.

Injecting some youth into the unit could backfire if the Seahawks find the wrong people, but Seattle has always built through the draft. That is how they are going to continue to evolve as they seek another Super Bowl title.

In the meantime, the Seahawks are back in action on Monday Night Football against the Chicago Bears. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:15 pm PT at Lumen Field. Fans can watch the game on ESPN or stream it on the ESPN app.

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