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Bruce Feldman’s latest NFL mock draft connects the Seattle Seahawks to a cornerback, not a running back, at No. 32 overall.
Feldman projected Seattle to select Clemson defensive back Avieon Terrell with the final pick of the first round, calling cornerback “a big need” for the Seahawks even as running back also remains on the board as another obvious roster conversation. In Feldman’s mock, Seattle passes on forcing a back at that spot and instead takes a defender he says profiles as a smart, gritty NFL nickel.
That is what makes this projection interesting. The headline is not just that Seattle gets linked to a Clemson corner. It is that Feldman’s mock suggests the Seahawks may see more value in strengthening the secondary than reaching for a skill player simply because the board says running back is tempting at No. 32.
Why Bruce Feldman’s Seahawks pick stands out
Feldman wrote that this spot felt too high for the running backs he mentioned, Arkansas’ Mike Washington Jr. and Notre Dame’s Jadarian Price. Instead, he had Seattle pivot to Terrell, the younger brother of Falcons corner A.J. Terrell.
That matters because it gives the mock an actual football idea behind it. This is not just “best player available” tossed onto a team page. It is a board-based argument: Seattle still has another need, but if the value at running back is not there, take the defensive back and keep the roster-building logic intact.
For a team drafting at the back end of Round 1, that is often the smarter play anyway. Reaching for need can flatten the value of the pick. Taking a player with a clearer role and more favorable slot value is usually the cleaner move.
What Feldman’s sourcing says about Avieon Terrell
Terrell is not presented here as a flashy projection built on testing hype. Feldman’s sourced description points in a different direction.
He noted Terrell measured 5-foot-11 and 186 pounds, and while the combine testing was described as only OK, Feldman pointed to Terrell’s play production during Clemson’s disappointing 2025 season: 46 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, 11 pass breakups and a Clemson-record five forced fumbles. He also included a quote from an ACC offensive coordinator who called Terrell “super quick and smart” and said he would “probably be an excellent nickel in the NFL,” while also describing him as wiry, gritty and instinctive.
That is the important part for Seattle.
Mocks often lean on size-speed profiles. Feldman’s writeup leans more on functional traits: quickness, instincts, toughness and role clarity. If the Seahawks are looking for a defensive back who can do more than just survive outside snaps, that nickel projection becomes the hook.
Why this could matter more than the running back debate
The easy way to write this story is to ask why Seattle did not take a running back. The better question is whether the mock hints at how the Seahawks might prioritize the board when the first round gets thin.
Feldman explicitly says both cornerback and running back make sense, but he also makes clear this draft slot is too rich for the backs he references. That leaves Seattle with a choice between forcing a popular position or leaning into defensive value. His answer was Terrell.
That is what gives the pick some substance. Terrell is not just a name attached to Seattle. He is the player in this mock who lets the Seahawks solve a need without ignoring the board.
For Seahawks fans, that is the real takeaway from Feldman’s projection. If the board falls this way, Seattle may be better served tightening up the secondary with a productive, instinctive Clemson defensive back than chasing a first-round splash at running back.
Erik Anderson is an award-winning sports journalist covering the NBA, MLB and NFL for Heavy.com. He also focuses on the trading card market. His work has appeared in nationally-recognized outlets including The New York Times, Associated Press , USA Today, and ESPN. More about Erik Anderson
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