Poll: Few Seahawks fan dislike draft strategy to trade down

In a poll I put out on Twitter on Saturday with over 2,000 votes, 90% of respondents said that they think the Seahawks strategy to trade down each year is either good or not bad. That included 61% saying it was good at 29% saying that it was neither good nor bad. Only 10% said it was bad.

Since 2012, Seattle general manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll have traded down or out of the first round entirely in each year:

• 2012, they traded down from 12 to 15 to take Bruce Irvin. They added picks used on Jeremy Lane and Jaye Howard.
• 2013, they traded for Percy Harvin.
• 2014, they traded down from 32 to 40 and added a pick used on Cassius Marsh, then from 40 to 45, where they selected Paul Richardson. The picks acquired included a fourth rounder that they also traded down with (and used on Garrett Scott, Kevin Norwood) and the other was used on fullback Kiero Small.
• 2015, they traded for Jimmy Graham.
• 2016, they traded down from 26 to 31 and selected Germain Ifedi, using the additional pick on Nick Vannett.
• In 2017, they traded from 26 to 31, adding picks used on Delano Hill and Chris Carson. They then traded from 31 to 34, adding a pick used on Tedric Thompson. They then traded from 34 to 35, selecting Malik McDowell and using the extra sixth rounder on Mike Tyson.
• In 2018, they moved from 18 to 27, selecting Rashaad Penny and using the extra pick on Rasheem Green.

This would be the eight consecutive year that the Seahawks have traded down if they decide to. Last year, Schneider worried that eight picks would not be enough for Seattle. This year, they have four. It seems likely that moves down will be happening and for the most part, fans seem happy with that over the idea of a more “premium” prospect that they could be missing out on.