In his pre-draft press conference this week, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider said what all 12s already knew to be true: He was more than willing to trade out of the first round of the 2026 NFL draft in hopes of adding more selections. The team currently only has four.
This year's draft isn't expected to have a large number of high-end talent, and is thin at certain positions, but it does seem to offer quality depth at several other spots. That includes edge rusher, a position where the Seahawks have a bit of a need. But if Seattle could move back, add a couple of picks in 2026, and one in 2027? Schneider might jump at that.
The above is what Moe Moton of Bleacher Report recently suggested in an article advising of one trade each team could make in the first round. If Moton is correct, Seattle would trade the No. 32 pick overall to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a second-round choice (51), fourth-round selection (119), and a 2027 third-round pick.
Bleacher Report suggests a wise first-round move for the Seattle Seahawks
Is giving up a first-round choice for a middle of the second-round selection and later too little? Maybe. The move would give the Seahawks two second-round selections and add a fourth-rounder in 2026, though. Almost as importantly, it would give Schneider yet another pick next year.
That last part could be key because the 2027 draft is expected to have a lot of elite talent, and John Schneider seems to be stacking his selections next year. With projected comp picks, Seattle already has 11 choices, and the Panthers would give them a 12th selection and one in the third round.
Moton suggests that Carolina would select undersized, but athletically elite, D'Angelo Ponds, a cornerback from Indiana. Ponds would be a good pick for the Seattle Seahawks, too, if things go that way.
What Moton doesn't indicate is what the Seahawks would do with their added picks. Seattle would have the No. 51 and 64 selections overall, and a potentially good edge rusher or two might still be available. Schneider might also take one of those opportunities to choose a running back like Arkansas' Mike Washington Jr. or Washington's Jonah Coleman.
Who the team adds in 2026 is going to have a key role in the future success of the team, of course, but the 2027 draft could be special, and Schneider and the Seahawks know it. The piece that could make Moton's suggestion a reality is the third-round choice in 2027. That makes the move logical.
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