American Football

NFL draft analyst suggests this Seahawks draft day trade

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NFL: APR 27 2023 Draft
Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

In this scenario, Seattle would receive a second-round pick and an extra pick in 2025.

Instead of a mock draft, how about a mock trade?

The Seattle Seahawks are smack dab in the middle of the NFL Draft order at pick 16. They do not have a second-round pick due to the Leonard Williams trade, and gave up one of their third-rounders to the Washington Commanders, so they’re currently slated to have just two selections in the top 100.

It’s been six years since the Seahawks last traded down in the first round of the draft. John Schneider moved from No. 18 (where the Green Bay Packers selected Jaire Alexander) to No. 27 to select running back Rashaad Penny. Since then, Seattle has stood pat with its top pick.

NFL.com analyst Chad Reuter recently wrote a column on six logical first-round trades, and the Seahawks are involved. Reuter suggests a swap between Seattle and the Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, giving Seattle a second-round pick and an extra pick next year.

Chiefs receive:

No. 16 overall pick (Round 1)

Seahawks receive:

No. 32 overall (Round 1)

No. 64 overall (Round 2)

2025 third-round choice

Schneider might welcome this deal because he traded his second-round pick to the Giants for defensive lineman Leonard Williams last fall. Even after moving down 16 slots, Schneider could still find a new starting offensive lineman (Cooper Beebe or Jackson Powers-Johnson), defensive lineman (Braden Fiske or Jer’Zahn Newton) or linebacker (Edgerrin Cooper, Trevin Wallace or Payton Wilson) late in the first. Schneider may have interest in the 2025 third-round pick Kansas City received from Tennessee in the L’Jarius Sneed trade, having already dealt next year’s fifth-rounder in the Williams trade.

I feel like it’s in Seattle’s best interests to trade down and find a route back into the second round, although I’d probably angle for something stronger than a 2025 third-rounder. I’d be surprised if the Chiefs wanted to move that high up in the draft to (presumably) take a wide receiver, but anything in which the Seahawks can take part in Round 2 is preferable.

If there was ever a year to return to trading down to gain extra picks, it’s this one.

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