Seahawks could be completely content with just three draft picks

Overwhelming consensus of late is that the Seattle Seahawks will leave the 2021 draft with more than three picks.

I should probably list an array of media sources to support, but frankly, I don’t want to. Turn the radio on or Google Seahawks.

The conversation generally begins with “obviously Seattle will trade down” and then discussion continues from there.

But instead of promoting the second-round selection into eight sixth-rounders, perhaps John Schneider has reason(s) to stay put this season.

After all, Schneider did trade down once in the 2020 draft, but the team also traded up twice, something they won’t (shouldn’t) be able to do this year.

Three Reasons to Keep Three

College Football was whack.

NCAA was all over the place last year, with conferences springing into last-minute decisions for there to be football. Prep time was limited and inconsistent, and the seasons were shorter.

The Big-10 played eight games. Or five. Three of them played nine games. The Big-12 played between 10-12 games except for the Kansas Jayhawks who gave up after going 0-9. The ACC played between 9-12 games. The illustrious Pac-12 averaged 5.5, from whom Pete and John have drafted with some regularity, including Colby Parkinson last year.

If ever there was a time to maneuver due to increased trust in veterans over rookies, this is the year. A healthy and familiar Jamal Adams is worth every ounce of the first-round pick they won’t have this season, by ten miles.

It’s not like this draft class will magically be worse than previous years; just a potential to catch up more slowly.

The only reason any of this would matter is that it does seem like the Seahawks are in win now mode. They’ve been both aggressive and present-oriented, not messing around with inconsistency or projects.

That being the case, an established guard instead of another draft pick makes all the sense in the world.

No Cap

If the above argument was weak this one might be worse. John Gilbert has already outlined that Seattle won’t need much at all to sign three rookies, and trading down from their top pick would have little impact.

However, if another vet like Aldon Smith or a better cornerback competitor joins the force, the $7 million of remaining cap is going to get extremely tight. More than trading down, this would reduce the likelihood of trading Rashaad Penny an additional spot in the draft somewhere else.

Who’d Even Play?

This roster has few weak spots, especially starters. Cornerback is obvious, a third wide receiver, and then center. There are better DTs in the world than Al Woods, but as mentioned before Kerry Hyder’s versatility mitigates some of that. There are even logjam issues elsewhere along the defensive line, as well as the middle of the backfield with Marquise Blair and Ugo Amadi.

Trading down gives the Seahawks the depth they might be interested in if it’s on offense, but it removes the opportunity to grab a hopeful starter at one of the only holes.

It seems like Schneider found a high-level talent in Jordyn Brooks last year, while people mocked the team yet again for a first-found reach. Brooks was supposed to be gettable much later in the draft. If the right guy is there, Schneider has no problem pulling the trigger on draft day, and if it takes the team from three question marks to two he should do it.