A 'steal' in S-E-A-T-T-L-E

The Seahawks had a Day 2 to remember

Eight years ago, the Seattle Seahawks made SIX day two picks, which came a year after they made FOUR*, but even at that time did those classes feel as impactful as what John Schneider was able to do on Friday? A day that would not have been possible without Schneider first taking the chance to trade away two of his best players months after the Seahawks barely missed the playoffs.

*without looking it up, how many of the 10 players picked on day 2 from 2016-2017 can you name?

Look at what the Seahawks were able to gain by trading Geno Smith and DK Metcalf:

• Cooper Kupp is older than Metcalf, but cost less than half per season and barely over 25% in fully guaranteed money: $60 million to $17.5 million

• Sam Darnold is seven years younger than Smith, had a better season in 2024 than any campaign by Smith, and costs less per year by $4 million and less in guaranteed money by $21 million!

• The Seahawks received a second round pick for Metcalf and a third round pick for Smith

• The Seahawks only had the ammunition and ambition to trade up for Nick Emmanwori at pick 35, a player who they would have considered drafting at 18, because they had those two day two picks

Hypothetically if the Seahawks were going to trade Emmanwori no matter what, even if they had not traded Smith and Metcalf, that would mean no Elijah Arroyo at 50 and no Jalen Milroe at 92.

By many accounts, the Seahawks didn’t just have the best day two, they also had the best plan to get to day two by saving money, getting younger at the most important position, and still being able to add the most dynamic quarterback prospect in the class while also knowing that because of Darnold and because of Drew Lock, nobody is expecting anything from Milroe for at least a couple of years.

In that respect, it also means that Darnold isn’t looking over his shoulder, which Schneider himself said is a vital component towards a quarterback having success. It’s remarkable that Seattle was able to draft a QB and yet nobody is asking what this means for Darnold because Milroe is such a project.

I just want to share three clips about the Seahawks day two picks:

2.35 Nick Emmanwori

Here’s what NFL Network’s Steve Wyche said about Emmanwori as the steal of the draft:

“This is a real dude, about 6’3, 220, can play free, can play strong, can do some things in the slot, gets his hands around the ball, a big tackler. Where did Mike Macdonald come from? The Ravens. He had Kyle Hamilton there, I think that is a fairly good comp for him. He’s also an athletic superstar, blew up the combine because of his speed at the size that he’s at, so you add him to a division that’s loaded with wide receivers and everybody has a tight end, he’s the perfect defensive chess piece in the NFC West.”

I shared my thoughts on the Hamilton comp before the draft, and I think that’s a little unfair to Emmanwori. Hamilton is one of the great draft safety prospects of all-time, it was a steal just to get him at 14. But regardless, when the Seahawks actually pick a player like Emmanwori, it means that Macdonald sees a weapon that could change the conversation around Seattle’s defense next season.

2.50 - TE Elijah Arroyo

Top Billin’ compares Arroyo to Noah Fant, which of course does signify that maybe Schneider can save even more cap space with this class.

If the Seahawks find a bite for Fant on the trade market, it saves $8.9 million in cap space. It’s a little late to be spending money, but Seattle can always roll that into 2026, which they’re going to need after exercising Charles Cross’s fifth-year option.

To date, I’ve still said almost nothing about Arroyo, he wasn’t someone who I spent time on before the draft. But that doesn’t mean anything because I don’t profile or talk about that many prospects before the draft, it’s not my lane.

Arroyo is basically a one-year wonder at Miami, which could mean he’s a one-year wonder…or that he’s the tight end steal of 2025.

3.92 - QB Jalen Milroe

When I asked readers for “favorite picks”, it’s no surprise that Milroe’s name came up the most often. I get all my Seahawks Xs and Os on YouTube from the Legion of 12s channel and his profile of Milroe as a prospect is balanced and fair as can be, while also noting why he could be the overall steal of the entire 2025 draft class:

The main takeaway of Milroe as a runner is that there might only be one other quarterback in the NFL who can run the ball as well as he can, and that QB has won the MVP award twice. The throwing is bad — despite a powerful arm — but again, Milroe’s not going to be running the offense any time soon.

This is almost like drafting an 18-year-old pitcher in the first round because of his traits and his ceiling, knowing that you expect him to be developing in the minors for 4-5 years before calling him up to the majors. A lot of high school phenoms never get above minor league ball, but the ones that do are often the best in the majors.

You don’t get 4 years in the NFL, if you’re lucky you get two, and if you’re extraordinarily lucky you get three, but Milroe does have multiple years to work on his footwork and mechanics behind the scenes.

Now compare that lottery ticket to the players who the Seahawks have traditionally picked at the end of the third round and tell me if you’d rather have him or Rasheem Green. Him or Jordan Hill. Him or Deon Butler.

And there is only one late third round exception that stands above the rest…He was also a quarterback.

Day 2 will be defined “successful” or not based on whether or not these prospects become starters in the NFL, but don’t forget what came before Friday. The Seahawks saved a lot of cap space and got younger at the most important position with two trades that essentially also gave them Nick Emmanwori, and by trading up for Emmanwori it also meant that Seattle was able to get Arroyo and Milroe with him.

That’s not just a good day. It’s a good offseason.

Seaside Joe 2248