The Seattle Seahawks have gone through the last 27 NFL Drafts without trading up the first round. This trend within the franchise existed before John Schneider was hired as the general manager and has lived on in his stead.
Seattle's last trade up was in 1997 when they sent a trade package that included the 11th pick to the Atlanta Falcons in return for the third overall pick. That same draft, the Seahawks acquired the sixth selection for their 12th overall pick. As a result, the franchise selected cornerback Shawn Springs (No. 3) and offensive tackle Walter Jones (No. 6).
Springs had a quality career with a Pro Bowl and Second Team All-Pro honor. Jones is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame after anchoring the left side of the Seahawks' offensive line for 12 years.
The Seahawks have had exceptional success trading up in the draft in the past. They did it in four different drafts from 1980-97, ending up with defensive end Jacob Green, defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy, running back Curt Warner, Springs and Jones — all of whom are either Seahawks legends or were quality selections.
According to a report from Pewter Report — a Tampa Bay Buccaneers outlet — Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht "doesn't foresee as many teams wanting to trade up across the league" in 2025. That is most likely a result of a lack of top-end talent, which is expected to be mostly consolidated to the first few picks.
That report was corroborated by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, who said there doesn't appear to be many attempts at moving up in the draft order ahead of the April 24 first round.
If other teams around the league are either wanting to move back or stay put, that presents an opportunity for the teams looking to move up. Whereas Seattle may have had to wait for a player they like to fall to them, they could not potentially get up higher in the order for less than other seasons.
Seattle also has 10 draft picks this year, with five in the first three rounds. They have an abundance of draft capital, including the No. 18 pick, to try and receive a higher selection. It could be the perfect formula to buck the franchise trend of staying put or trading back.
The counter argument — and why many teams may be going this route — is those mid-round picks are more valuable than ever, as the talent in this draft class is less concentrated at the top. That means the Seahawks could emerge with multiple quality players (possible future starters) rather than one potential superstar. But there's a good argument for either move.
At the very least, it would make for an interesting draft if Seattle decided to switch up its typical strategies. And with a lack of superstar finds in recent years, it could be what the team needs to build its roster.
