Seahawks Eye Draft Trade-Down Amidst NFC West Buzz

The Seattle Seahawks said they intend to trade down in the upcoming NFL draft, even if that means negotiating with teams inside the NFC West. General Manager John Schneider outlined the approach on Monday during the club’s annual pre-draft news conference in Renton, Washington.

Schneider tied the strategy to the Seahawks’ limited draft capital. Seattle currently holds four total selections, including the No. 32 overall pick, and he said that total is the fewest in the NFL. With fewer opportunities to add players, the team is looking at moving back to increase the number of picks it controls.

A notable element of Schneider’s comments was his openness to intra-division deals, which teams often avoid because of the risk of strengthening a direct competitor. He said Seattle would consider trading with NFC West rivals, a stance that departs from the traditional reluctance around division trades.

Schneider acknowledged that trading down could also create an opening for a rival to move up for a quarterback. One example raised was the Arizona Cardinals potentially positioning themselves to select Ty Simpson, who was described as widely viewed as the second-best quarterback in this draft class. Any such outcome would depend on how the board falls and which teams decide to move, but Schneider’s remarks signaled Seattle is not ruling out those conversations.

League history shows division-on-division draft trades are not common but do occur. Since the NFL’s 2002 realignment, there have been 35 draft-day trades between division opponents. Schneider said he has been involved in one such trade since 2010, underscoring how unusual these deals remain even for teams that are active traders.

The No. 32 pick carries an additional roster-management feature that can influence negotiations. A player selected at that spot comes with a fifth-year team option, which can add value for clubs seeking longer-term control over a first-round contract. Seattle has previously moved that exact selection, trading the No. 32 pick in 2014 to the Minnesota Vikings.

Schneider also pointed to his broader track record of trading back in the first round, listing 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 as years when Seattle executed that type of move. He added that the league’s reduction in time between first-round picks—from 10 minutes to eight—should not materially change trade dynamics, because most negotiations are handled before a team is officially on the clock.