{"id":865169,"date":"2026-04-13T00:05:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T00:05:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/865169\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T00:05:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T00:05:18","slug":"seahawks-eyeing-oklahoma-edge-rusher-as-boye-mafe-replacement","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/865169\/","title":{"rendered":"Seahawks Eyeing Oklahoma Edge Rusher as Boye Mafe Replacement"},"content":{"rendered":"

Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a<\/a><\/p>\n

\"AA cubist interpretation of a pass-rushing edge defender, capturing the explosive energy and fractured perspectives of a high-stakes NFL moment.Seattle Today<\/p>\n

The Seattle Seahawks are reportedly interested in adding Oklahoma edge rusher R Mason Thomas in the upcoming 2026 NFL Draft as a potential replacement for Boye Mafe, who the team is expected to miss. Thomas, a First-Team All-SEC selection in 2025, had 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss last season and could be a target for the Seahawks with one of their top three picks at 32nd, 64th, and 96th overall.<\/p>\n

Why it matters<\/p>\n

The Seahawks have a clear need at edge rusher after losing Mafe, and Thomas could be an intriguing option to provide depth and pass-rushing ability alongside Demarcus Lawrence and Derick Hall. However, Thomas’ smaller size at 6-foot-2, 241 pounds may be a concern, and the Seahawks may need to use an earlier pick than ideal to secure him if he’s taken before their second-round selection.<\/p>\n

The details<\/p>\n

According to ESPN’s Brady Henderson, the Seahawks have R Mason Thomas on their list of pre-draft visits as they look to add an edge rusher to replace Boye Mafe. Thomas, a First-Team All-SEC selection in 2025, had 6.5 sacks and 9.5 tackles for loss in 10 games last season for Oklahoma. At 6-foot-2 and 241 pounds, Thomas is on the smaller side for a defensive lineman, but he’s known for his pass-rushing upside and could be a nice rotational piece alongside Demarcus Lawrence and Derick Hall.<\/p>\n

The 2026 NFL Draft is scheduled for April 24-26, 2026.<\/p>\n

The players<\/p>\n

R Mason Thomas<\/p>\n

A 6.5-sack edge rusher from the University of Oklahoma who is a potential target for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2026 NFL Draft.<\/p>\n

Boye Mafe<\/p>\n

A defensive end who previously played for the Seattle Seahawks and is now expected to leave the team.<\/p>\n

Demarcus Lawrence<\/p>\n

A defensive end who currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks.<\/p>\n

Derick Hall<\/p>\n

A defensive end who currently plays for the Seattle Seahawks.<\/p>\n

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\n What they\u2019re saying<\/p>\n

\u201cWhich likely helps explain the Seahawks’ interest in Oklahoma’s R Mason Thomas, a First-Team All-SEC selection in 2025.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Brady Henderson, ESPN Reporter<\/p>\n

\u201cHe’s among the names on Seattle’s list of pre-draft visits, according to NFL reporter Arye Pulli.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Brady Henderson, ESPN Reporter<\/p>\n

\u201cSeattle’s needs are clear, and with one of their top three picks at 32nd, 64th, and 96th overall, an edge rusher should be a priority.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u2014 Brady Henderson, ESPN Reporter<\/p>\n

What\u2019s next<\/p>\n

The Seahawks will continue to evaluate R Mason Thomas and other edge rushers leading up to the 2026 NFL Draft, which takes place from April 24-26, 2026. They will need to decide if they want to use one of their top three picks to select Thomas or if they will target a different edge rusher to fill the void left by Boye Mafe’s departure.<\/p>\n

The takeaway<\/p>\n

The Seahawks’ interest in R Mason Thomas highlights their need to find a replacement for Boye Mafe at defensive end. While Thomas has intriguing pass-rushing ability, his smaller size may be a concern. The Seahawks will need to weigh the pros and cons of selecting Thomas, who could be a valuable rotational piece, with one of their early draft picks.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Got story updates? Submit your updates here. \u203a A cubist interpretation of a pass-rushing edge defender, capturing the…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":865170,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2081],"tags":[7,6,238,237,261,2635],"class_list":{"0":"post-865169","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-seattle-seahawks","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-nfl","10":"tag-seahawks","11":"tag-seattle","12":"tag-seattle-seahawks","13":"tag-seattleseahawks"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116394482464315455","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865169","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=865169"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/865169\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/865170"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=865169"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=865169"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=865169"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}