Analyst picks Seahawks moving up for freak safety favorite trade of 2025 NFL draft

It’s hard not to like what general manager John Schneider and the Seattle Seahawks did in this year’s draft. The club wound up picking 11 players. The team used a first-round selection on North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel and addressed the team’s problem-plagued offensive line two more times.

The club also added a running back, two wide receivers, and a pair of tight ends to an offense now under the command of new coordinator Klint Kubiak and free-agent quarterback addition Sam Darnold. There was also the drafting of talented quarterback Jalen Milroe , who could learn and contribute during his rookie campaign. After the 2025 NFL’s three-day annual selection meeting had wrapped up, ESPN NFL draft analyst Matt Miller was asked what was his favorite trade during the draft.



The answer was Schneider’s big move in the early stages of Day 2. “The Seattle Seahawks trading up to pick No. 35 to select South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori early in Round 2.

The Seahawks were aggressive in giving up pick Nos. 52 and 82, but they landed a top-20 player early in Round 2 and only surrendered a mid-third-rounder to do so. Emmanwori can be Mike Macdonald's Kyle Hamilton.

" Keep in mind that the Seahawks entered this year’s draft with five of their 10 picks in the first three rounds. That included a pair of choices in both the second (50 and 52) and third (82 and 92). They were able to add the talented Gamecock defender, and still used the 50th and 92nd overall selections on University of Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo and Milroe, respectively.

Emmanwori comes off a season in which he totaled 88 tackles, while returning two of his four interceptions for touchdowns. Mike Macdonald’s club could use a ball hawk, considering the Seahawks forced only 18 turnovers in 17 games this past season. More Seahawks on SI stories Grading each pick for the Seattle Seahawks in the 2025 NFL draft Seattle Seahawks winners and losers after first 3 rounds of 2025 NFL draft NFL exec offers savage assessment of new Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe Former Seahawks RB Adrian Peterson arrested after 2025 NFL draft party.