Could Seahawks Work Back Into Sixth Round of 2022 NFL Draft?

The Seahawks sent their 2022 sixth-round pick to the Jaguars for cornerback Sidney Jones last September, setting up a 76-pick drought between their fifth-round selection at No. 153 and their seventh at No. 229. Could John Schneider fill that gap with his first trade of draft week?

Heading into the third and final day of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seahawks have four selections left to make. They'll kick things off with an early fourth-round pick (No. 109) to go along with their pair of fives (No. 145, No. 153) and a seventh (No. 229) later on in the afternoon. 

Their sixth-rounder, however, now resides in Jacksonville. That pick, which is slotted at No. 188, was shipped over to the Jaguars in a preseason trade for cornerback Sidney Jones last September. 

As a result, Seattle is currently slated to watch 76 players come off the board between picks No. 153 and No. 229. Considering where its roster currently stands and the nature of this particular draft, that's a lot of potential to let slip by. 

If general manager John Schneider feels the need to be involved somewhere in that range, he'll have options to hop back into the sixth round. The easiest and most straightforward way to make that happen would be to trade one of the team's nine picks in 2023. 

The Seahawks acquired an additional fifth for 2023 by sending cornerback Ahkello Witherspoon to the Steelers, which further necessitated the aforementioned trade for Jones. If he wishes, Schneider could either deal that pick or his own fifth for something in the early-to-mid sixth this year. 

Of course, it takes two to tango and such a deal would require another team completely punting one of its day three picks. The ideal trade partner in this instance would be a team in possession of an abundance of picks on Saturday, such as the Patriots (seven), Ravens (seven), Rams (seven), Broncos (seven), Jaguars (six), Cowboys (six), Giants (six), Bills (five) and Cardinals (five).

There's also the possibility Seattle trades down from No. 109 and notches a sixth that way. Here are three mock trades using the Rich Hill trade value chart:

• Trade pick No. 109 (32 points) to Broncos for picks No. 116 and No. 206 (32 points)
• Trade pick No. 109 (32 points) to Patriots for picks No. 121 and No. 183 (32 points)
• Trade picks No. 109 (32 points) to Chargers for picks No. 123, No. 195 and No. 214 (32 points)

Schneider has uncharacteristically failed to make a trade through the first two days of the draft. That feels likely to change on Saturday, especially with that large gap between the Seahawks' second fifth-rounder and their seventh-rounder sticking out like a sore thumb.