The Seattle Seahawks traded away Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos. What do they have coming back in return for their superstar QB?
The Seattle Seahawks have pulled the trigger on a Russell Wilson trade. The Wilson news, combined with Aaron Rodgers making his decision to return to the Packers, set the NFL world ablaze on this lovely Tuesday.
Although the disappointment for Seattle fans is probably still setting in, there are some new players on the roster to get to know after the blockbuster trade with the Denver Broncos.
Let’s take a look at the entire trade haul and then break it all down.
Seattle Seahawks massive trade haul from Denver Broncos in Russell Wilson deal
Seattle Seahawks get:
- QB Drew Lock
- TE Noah Fant
- DL Shelby Harris
- 2022 1st-round pick (9th overall)
- 2022 2nd-round pick (40th overall)
- 2023 1st-round pick
- 2023 2nd-round pick
- 2022 5th-round pick
Denver Broncos get:
- QB Russell Wilson
- 2022 4th-round pick
First off, can we acknowledge how hilarious it is that George Paton asked for a fourth-round pick back from Jon Schneider in this trade? You’ve got to admire his courage in a deal like this.
The first thing we need to break down are the NFL Draft picks. When you compare this to the trade the Detroit Lions made last offseason with the Los Angeles Rams, the Seahawks made off pretty great in terms of draft pick compensation.
Picks 9 and 40 in the 2022 NFL Draft are very good selections and will net the Seahawks starting-caliber players, no question. Those picks are also better than any picks the Lions got for Matthew Stafford, which is probably something the Seahawks looked at and prioritized.
This year’s draft class is not exactly being hyped up as a great QB draft, so what will we see Seattle do with those picks? I don’t think we’ll see them go after a quarterback, but we’ll see.
They now own multiple first- and second-round picks in 2023 that they can use as ammunition to get a QB of their choosing, whether on the trade market or in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Heck, you never know if Deshaun Watson might even be an option for the Seahawks still depending on how that situation plays out.
Ultimately, just like the Denver Broncos hoped over the last year, collecting draft picks puts you in a position of flexibility. The Seahawks don’t have Russell Wilson anymore but at least they have capital in the Draft, something that simply didn’t exist for them before this deal.