5 best trades Seattle Seahawks have pulled off under general manager John Schneider

Best trade No. 1 - The Russell Wilson trade (2022)

Seattle gave the Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson and a fourth-round choice for Drew Lock, Shelby Harris, Noah Fant, a 2022 first-round choice, 2022 second-round pick, 2022 fifth-round pick, 2023 first-round choice, and 2023 second-round pick. Whew.

Goodness, that is a lot of players involved in the trade. And this is a trade that the Seahawks have used to remake their team and the post-Wilson roster is younger and better than the Wilson-era teams. Giving up Wilson was a bit of a shock to 12s at the time, but looking back after just a year-and-a-half the deal seems like Seattle completely fleeced Denver.

Wilson has mostly struggled with the Broncos since the beginning of 2022, though Denver has played a bit better lately. But Seattle had the better team in 2022, this year, and likely for several years to come. Wilson might not even be with Denver in a couple of seasons even though they signed him to a massive deal after the trade.

Meanwhile, two of the players Seattle got in the deal - Lock and Harris - have either already left the team or don't play. But Fant has been a pretty decent receiving weapon for quarterback Geno Smith. Fant should probably be used even more than he is.

But the players Seattle picked up through the draft - left tackle Charles Cross, edge rusher Boye Mafe, edge rusher Derick Hall, and cornerback Devon Witherspoon - are foundational pieces for a potential championship team. Seattle wouldn't be where they currently are without trading Wilson and the team will most likely be better off in five years because of the Wilson trade as well.

More Seattle Seahawks news and analysis