Edge rusher is looking like a position the Seattle Seahawks will need to address during the upcoming NFL Draft.

ESPN’s Fowler: Seahawks likely to lose ‘a bunch’ of their FA class

The Seahawks had a deep group on the edge last season with Derick Hall, DeMarcus Lawrence, Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu all in the mix. But Mafe is about to hit free agency and seems unlikely to be re-signed, and ESPN’s Brady Henderson told Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy retirement could be a possibility for the 33-year-old Lawrence following Seattle’s Super Bowl run.

If Seattle does as many expect and selects an edge rusher in the draft, there’s a player former NFL quarterback Brock Huard sees as having a Seahawks feel: UCF’s Malachi Lawrence.

“All you gotta kind of do is look at (general manager) John Schneider’s track record. It’s not going to tell you exactly who they’re going to pick. He will be a wild card. He will evolve and do his own thing, but there’s very clearly some things at certain positions that he’s enamored with,” Huard said.

Huard pointed to the measurables Hall and Mafe, two recent Seahawks draft picks, had when they participated in the combine as why Lawrence fits the mold of a Seahawks edge player. At the combine, Hall ran a 4.55-second 40-yard dash and measured in at 6-foot-3 and 254 pounds. Mafe ran a 4.53 40 time while measuring in at 6-4 and 261 pounds. Lawrence came in with similar numbers, clocking a 4.52 40 time and measuring in at 6-4 and 253 pounds.

Lawrence redshirted in 2021 and playing sparingly at UCF in 2022, but broke out with a highly productive season in 2023, totaling 10.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks in 13 games. Those numbers dipped the following year with 6.0 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks over 11 games in 2024. However, he rebounded with standout senior season and earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, amassing a career-high 11 tackles for loss go along with 7.0 sacks and a career-best two forced fumbles in 12 games.

“Super productive player. Light bulb came on late in his career. There’s some stuff there that you’d like to see (more) consistency (with), but that’s why he’s going to be a second- or third-rounder,” Huard said. “… He kind of looks like Boye, he kind of moves like Derick Hall. He’s kind of a rugged guy with a whole lot of speed and twitch. Just keep an eye on him throughout the process.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app. 

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