The Seattle Seahawks are considering trading down in this year’s NFL draft. General manager John Schneider said the team is open to making deals, even if it means potentially sending a quarterback to a division rival.
Seahawks’ Draft Strategy
Schneider said, “It’s no secret with us… We have four picks, so we’ll be looking to move back.”
The Seahawks have the fewest selections in the NFL with four, including the No. 32 pick. Under Schneider, the team has a history of trading back in the first round or out of it. He said the team has as much incentive as ever to do so in this year’s draft, which is not considered top-heavy in talent.
Willingness to Trade Within NFC West
Schneider volunteered that the team is not opposed to making deals within its own division. He added he’d do so even if he knew one of Seattle’s NFC West counterparts was moving up to select a quarterback.
The Arizona Cardinals have been linked to Alabama’s Ty Simpson, considered the second-best quarterback in this class. Arizona’s picks include Nos. 3 and 34. The New York Jets, another team that could be seeking a quarterback, own the 33rd pick.
Schneider said, “We’ve talked within our division… Everybody in our division, we would trade with. We have good relationships with all three of those teams. You’re maneuvering around the board to try to help your team no matter what. So, when you look at it through that lens, you’re basically not concerned about [helping another team].”
Historical Context and Pick Value
There have been 35 draft-day trades between division opponents in 24 drafts since the NFL realigned in 2002. Since Schneider became the Seahawks’ general manager in 2010, he’s only been a part of one such trade — with the San Francisco 49ers in 2017.
Speaking generally about the appeal of the 32nd pick in any draft, Schneider noted that it comes with a team option for a fifth year. The last time the Seahawks owned the 32nd pick as reigning Super Bowl champions, they traded it on draft night in 2014 to the Minnesota Vikings, who moved up eight spots to select quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
Schneider also traded back in the first round at least one time in 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The Seahawks didn’t have first-round picks in 2013 or 2015. In the past five drafts in which they’ve owned one, they’ve stayed put.
Schneider said negotiations toward draft-day trades aren’t as easy now because teams assign their own values to each pick.