Sooners Standout Inches Into First-Round Draft Picks in New Mock

It’s an exciting time in the offseason, since the 2026 NFL draft is just days away. The event, which is in its 91st year, will take place from April 23 to 25 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

While every round of the draft is jam-packed with action, the first round is always the one people are buzzing about the most. Now, the first round is becoming more obvious, since free agency and trade moves have made each NFL team’s roster opening clearer.

In a Friday, April 17, piece for the NFL’s official website, Chad Reuter gives his 2026 NFL draft predictions. In it, he has Oklahoma edge R Mason Thomas barely making the first round, but the good news is that means he goes to the current Super Bowl-winning team: the Seahawks.

“Edge rusher is a need for Seattle, with Boye Mafe departing this offseason while Derick Hall and Uchenna Nwosu head into a contract year,” he states in the piece. “Thomas will overcome his lack of bulk/length with his speed and bend.”

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Thomas’s official NFL draft profile calls him a “witched-up rush linebacker whose lack of size and length at the point of attack could be offset by his rush talent.” It adds that the player has “added good mass over the years but still gets engulfed and displaced by big, downhill blockers.”

Homas is “more dangerous on the move, slipping into gaps and disrupting edges before they’re set. He’s an explosive speed rusher with the ability to shave the edge tightly or create surprising push with leverage and speed-to-power conversion.”

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So, is this a match made in football Heaven? It’s true that the Seahawks need a good edge and more depth in that position. It’s why they were interested in trading for Maxx Crosby during the offseason. If Thomas is still available by their pick, it would make total sense for Seattle to nab this up-and-comer before he gets taken in the second round.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 11:03 AM.