As the 2026 NFL Draft approaches, fans and analysts will be firing up their mock draft machines in hopes of creating a perfect first round; however, ESPN writer Bill Barnwell has taken a different approach.
In his latest mock draft, he instituted an all-trade policy where every pick must be moved. While for some teams, like the Las Vegas Raiders, that may seem propitious, for the Super Bowl champion Seattle Seahawks, trading their No. 32 selection is a very real possibility. The hard part for general
manager John Schneider will be finding a partner who wants to move up to the last pick of the first round.
Barnwell’s answer to that question is simple: find a quarterback-needy team, and there might be none more hungry than the Cleveland Browns. In the mock draft, the Seahawks trade No. 32 to the Browns for the No. 39, No. 70 and No. 149 picks, a haul that would double Schneider’s amount of ammo for the latter two days of the draft while sliding seven spots.
The Seahawks currently sit at just four picks in the 2026 draft after trading away their fourth- and fifth-round selections for Rashid Shaheed at the trade deadline. Barnwell calls Schneider a “heavy favorite” to trade down, as it not only gives him more picks but also aligns with what we’ve seen from him in the past, trading down five times over his tenure at the helm of the Seahawks.
Schneider also appears to have a good relationship with the Browns’ general manager, Andrew Berry. Seattle traded down in the fifth round in the 2025 NFL Draft with Cleveland, who moved up to take Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. The picks that the Seahawks acquired were used to select wide receiver Tory Horton and offensive lineman Bryce Cabeldue.
Barring any “Draft Day” esque shenanigans between the Seahawks and Browns, Barnwell’s trade appears to be a very fantastic option if Schneider wants more bites at the apple. Now, let’s just hope Ty Simpson’s Alabama teammates went to his birthday party.
