The Seattle Seahawks traded a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers for undrafted rookie cornerback Avery Smith out of Toledo. General manager John Schneider has already spoken glowingly about Smith, but I think this move tells us more about the state of Seattle’s secondary depth than the front office wants to admit.

The Seahawks secondary is banged up. Seattle currently holds eight defensive backs on its active roster, and that number includes Nick Emmanwori, who is still working back from an injury. We also don’t know exactly what Emmanwori’s status will be early in the season. 

That context makes the trade for Smith a bit more understandable, but trading a draft pick for an undrafted rookie who just went through his first NFL preseason is still a significant commitment.

What John Schneider said about Avery Smith

Schneider was asked about Smith, and his praise was emphatic:

“He had a phenomenal preseason. I mean, shoot, he played outside and nickel. As you know, he’s gonna play in our defense now. Coming out, we liked him as a smart, tough, reliable guy. Very instinctive. They couldn’t speak more highly of him, and they had a really nice defensive backfield. You know, they did a really nice job in the offseason (they being scouting department) and they felt like this was an opportunity. 

I’m glad they were willing to do it. So yeah, we’ll be adding him and getting him in the mix. Another young guy that’s like a second piece at nickel and outside, and then we’ll see what he can do on teams.”

I’d expect Smith to be featured heavily on special teams early. However, Schneider highlighting the versatility to play outside and nickel could be huge in Seattle’s defensive system. That kind of flexibility matters when you’re as thin as the Seahawks are right now in the secondary.

The bigger picture at cornerback

Now, here’s where things get complicated. Smith’s spot on the 53-man roster likely isn’t permanent. Terrion Arnold is currently on the commissioner’s exempt list, and the Seahawks will likely get him back at some point. 

On top of that, Trevon Diggs is sitting on the practice squad. I wrote about that yesterday and why the contract guarantees make that arrangement work for Seattle. 

I’d expect Diggs to be elevated after Week 1, which could push Smith back to the practice squad or off the roster entirely.

Schneider was also asked about how he feels about the cornerback depth overall, and he had positive things to say:

“I feel, feel like it’s solid. You know, you can never have too many guys. You know, Avery is brought in as a system fit.”

He also invoked his mentor, the late Ted Thompson: “You know, you always got to keep one in the chamber.”

Look, I respect his confidence. But the logistics tell a different story.

Does this feel like a desperate move?

For what it’s worth, Smith posted a 61.1 PFF grade during the preseason, which wasn’t great. He did earn a 79.6 grade in the Chargers’ game against the Houston Texans, certainly signifying a standout performance. But let’s think about what Seattle actually did here. 

The Seahawks just traded a sixth-round draft pick for an undrafted rookie out of Toledo who’s going to fill a limited role, likely on special teams, and who might not even be on the roster once Arnold and Diggs get activated.

Don’t get me wrong. John Schneider is a great general manager, and maybe Smith can surprise us. Maybe this all works out in the long run. But it feels like the Seahawks are talking very highly about a guy who really might not pan out for them. 

When you read between the lines, this trade looks more like a depth-driven necessity than the confident roster addition Schneider is framing it as. Seattle’s secondary depth is a legitimate concern heading into Week 1, and no amount of praise for an undrafted rookie changes that reality.