The Seattle Seahawks have made a financial commitment of sorts to Geno Smith, but it’s one that remains short-term and one that suggests that the veteran represents a “bridge” to where the club wants to eventually end up at the quarterback position.
Is that eventuality accelerated by a “shake-up” and move-up in the upcoming NFL Draft?
The Seahawks presently sit at No. 16 overall in the first round of the April selection process. One analyst is suggesting that the New York Jets and the Seahawks should engineer a move that would “shake up” the 2024 NFL Draft.
Bleacher Report has devised the following trade scenario for the Seahawks: New York gets the 2024 first-rounder (No. 16 overall), plus a 2024 third-rounder (No. 76 overall), and a 2024 third-round draft choice (No. 78 overall), and a 2025 fourth-rounder.
And the Seahawks jump up a few spots to No. 10 overall.
A “shake-up”? For Seattle, in terms of trade cost, it’s a “shake-up” in a negative way. Three issues here …
The first issue? The Trade Value Chart, as used by most teams, doesn’t see this as a fair price; Seattle is giving up one too many picks in this proposal.
The second issue? B/R specifically writes as if Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. would be the target in the move-up, mentioning that “Staying home in the Pacific Northwest wouldn’t be a bad gig for the Heisman runner-up.”
That’s cozy and all. But we don’t have any indication that Penix is seen as the No. 10 prospect in this draft. In fact, our friend Dane Brugler doesn’t even have Penix as a first-round pick, ranking him instead as a late-second-rounder, in slot No. 58.
Brugler has Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and Jayden Daniels going early (in slots Nos. 1, 4 and 8). He’s got J.J. McCarthy as the No. 24 player, and Bo Nix as No. 37.
So B/R seems … well, way off here. If Brugler is close to right, Seattle wouldn’t have to move at all for Penix – and could actually trade back to get him!
The third issue? This concept does not at all fit GM John Schneider’s M.O. He’s not been a guy who’s drafted QBs, though that seems about to change. And he’s not been a guy who’s valued first-round trade-ups.
Should that change in the 2024 NFL Draft? Not in a way that would have the Seahawks overspend, overreach and over-draft, no.