Three Reasons Seahawks Should Trade Down in NFL Draft

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The Seattle Seahawks are slated to start their NFL Draft with the No. 32 overall selection in the first round after winning the Super Bowl over the New England Patriots last month.
However, the Seahawks might end up deciding to trade the pick and move down. There are a number of reasons behind why the Seahawks would do that, and here are three of them that make the most sense.
Seahawks Only Have Four Picks

The Seahawks only have four picks to work with at the moment in the NFL Draft. They have their first three rounds still in their possession, and they also hold a sixth-round pick. However, the team already has traded its fourth, fifth, and seventh-round selections, which means there isn't a whole lot to work with.
By making a trade at the end of the first round, the Seahawks will have a chance to add more picks to their cupboard, giving them more opportunities to land some rookies for the roster.
No Guaranteed Money Necessary
Every first-round pick in the draft tends to receive a fully guaranteed contract. In fact, some early second-round picks from last year's draft also received fully guaranteed salaries. If the Seahawks were to trade down far enough in the second round, they wouldn't have to give this promise to their top rookie selection.
The Seahawks would also not have to give a fifth-year option in the contract for a second-round pick; however, that is something that would be guaranteed and expected in a first-round pick's contract.
Seahawks Could Get Better Value in Round 2
The main reason behind getting out of the first round of the draft is because the Seahawks could get decent value, if not better, in the early part of the second round. A lot of the players that go in the 30s are very similar, but there is a massive difference between those first couple of picks in the second round versus the final picks in the first in terms of contracts.
Unless there is a player the front office falls in love with and would fear that he wouldn't be available if they were to trade back, the Seahawks should make the smart move and move back out of the first round. They probably could still get the player they want just at a fraction of the cost.
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Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.