NFL compensates Seahawks with two extra third-round picks in 2017 draft

Last offseason, the Seattle Seahawks lost defensive starters Bruce Irvin and Brandon Mebane to former AFC West rivals Oakland Raiders and San Diego Chargers in free agency, as well as starting left tackle Russell Okung to another AFC West foe, the Denver Broncos, and right guard J.R. Sweezy to expansion rivals the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Seahawks signed a few minor free agents themselves, but overall the contractual balance didn’t offset those moves and so now the NFL grants Seattle two relatively high compensatory draft picks in 2017. The selections are reportedly the 102nd pick and the 106th pick, giving the Seahawks three third rounders total.

As 12th Man Rising’s Keith Myers reminds us, this is the first year the league allows trading these compensatory selections, so the extra capital might help John Schneider if he wants to move up for a desired player or accumulate extra picks further down the board. Seattle is relatively light on picks headed into this draft, compared to past years when it reaped more fully in compensation and had more picks stashed around to begin with. According to Seahawks.com, the organization still holds its first and second round picks, the three thirds, one sixth and one seventh round pick—for a total of seven selections. (It’s a high seventh rounder, for what that’s worth. Schneider holds Carolina’s seventh pick from the Kevin Norwood deal and lost the original seventh rounder as a condition of the Dewey McDonald trade right before the start of the 2016 season.)

Seattle traded its 2017 fourth rounder in last year’s draft to the New England Patriots, and forfeited its fifth due to summer workout violations. Still, five day 1 and day 2 picks for the Seahawks feels like a full hand this early. It will be interesting to see how many Schneider ends up using.

Last year’s Super Bowl champion, the Denver Broncos received four extra picks, tied for the most compensation with the Cleveland Browns and Kansas City Chiefs. But according to Scott Peterson on Twitter, the value of Seattle’s compensation is greater than any team’s but the Browns, and the Seahawks’ seven picks have the most total value of any team that won at least 10 games.

Here are all Seattle’s current 2017 draft picks, in order:

First round - 26

Second round - 58

Third round - 90, 102, 106

Sixth round - 210

Seventh round - 226