Seahawks 2nd-round rookie gets bad news on starting job after preseason Week 1

The Seattle Seahawks are going to need a few newcomers to make a big difference this upcoming season after losing a lot of key players in free agency.

After not splurging in free agency, the Seahawks' 2026 draft class needs to be impactful. That means rookie running back Jadarian Price will need to have an immediate impact for the team. But their second-round pick might not be making an impact for a while.

According to ESPN's Brady Henderson, after the first preseason game of the year, it's clear 2nd-round rookie safety Bud Clark won't be starting this year, and isn't "close" to stealing the starting job either.

Seahawks rookie Bud Clark not likely to start anytime soon

"Clark, Seattle's second-round pick, does not appear close to wrestling away the starting job from Ty Okada, who got the night off with virtually every other starter," Henderson writes.

While the Seahawks are going to need their rookies to perform well to repeat as Super Bowl champions, it appears Clark might not be a huge factor right away.

With Clark playing into the second half during the preseason opener, it's clear Mike Macdonald wants to see more from the TCU rookie defensive back.

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He's 24 years old and had three tackles in his NFL preseason debut after recording seven passes defended with four interceptions last season. He had 15 picks in his college career over the last four years and was drafted at No. 64 overall in the 2026 NFL Draft.

With Coby Bryant leaving to join the Chicago Bears in free agency, a starting spot opened up. Clark, however, doesn't appear close to winning this job, as Okada is the clear favorite to start alongside Julian Love at safety.

There's still time for Clark to prove his worth, and he should still see the field every so often during the regular season for the Seahawks. But for now, it's clear Macdonald doesn't see him as a starter, and he's firmly behind Okada as a backup safety.

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