The Seattle Seahawks announced a surprising trade when setting their initial 53-man roster. The team acquired rookie cornerback Avery Smith in a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers in exchange for a 2027 sixth-round pick. It's extremely rare for an undrafted rookie to be traded during cutdown day, but the Seahawks were very impressed with Smith throughout the preseason.
"Phenomenal preseason," general manager John Schneider responded when asked about the decision to trade for Smith. "[He can play] outside, nickel. He's played in our [similar] defense. Coming out [of the draft], we liked him as a smart, tough, reliable guy. He's very instinctive."
Smith played 141 snaps for the Chargers throughout the preseason. The former Toledo standout allowed
just six receptions for 47 yards and one touchdown, per Pro Football Focus. Smith even had four quarterback pressures as a blitzer, and recorded 17 total tackles, and one pass breakup.
Ironically enough, Smith was teammates with Seahawks rookie cornerback Andre Fuller at Toledo last season. Smith made the 53-man roster after being acquired via trade, resulting in Fuller being waived and signed back to the practice squad. They were likely competing for the final roster spot at cornerback.
Fuller gives the Seahawks another young cornerback with a lot of upside.
Schneider said Avery Smith, the undrafted rookie cornerback Seattle acquired from the Chargers for a 2027 sixth-round pick, can play inside and on the perimeter. As the GM noted, he was playing in a similar defense to Mike Macdonald’s. That probably helped with their projection. pic.twitter.com/uWrJl8QRjQ
— Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson) August 31, 2026
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: What does CB Avery Smith add to Seahawks defense?
