Russell Wilson Trade: Who Won?

The Seattle Seahawks agreed to trade 9x Pro Bowl QB Russell Wilson and a fourth round pick to the Denver Broncos in exchange for DE Shelby Harris, TE Noah Fant, QB Drew Lock, 2 first-round picks, 2 second-round picks, and a fifth round pick. The move comes directly after Aaron Rodgers–a prime target for the QB hunting Broncos–decided to stay with the Green Bay Packers on a 4yr/200M deal.

The trade gives the Denver Broncos the first real franchise QB since Peyton Manning retired in 2016. In a division with Patrick Mahomes, Derek Carr, and Justin Herbert, the Broncos needed to make a big splash in the QB market in order to stay afloat and this move fulfills just that. Surrounded with talent like probowler Courtland Sutton, former #15 overall pick and Biletnikoff award winner Jerry Jeudy, Penn State standout KJ Hamler, and Tim Patrick, the Wilson-led Broncos should have plenty of firepower to make a push for the playoffs next season. 

The trade gives the Seattle Seahawks a baseline to rebuild a franchise just a few years removed from a Superbowl win. At least one of the first round picks will be within the top 10, giving the Seahawks a solid chance to land a franchise cornerstone for the years to come. However, in the last three years, the Seahawks have not had much success in drafting, with DK Metcalf being one of the only prominent picks made by the Seahawks. If they hit on these picks, the deal could be great for them. If not, it will haunt them for years to come. Shelby Harris provides some reliability to a shoddy defensive line. Noah Fant is a good young tight end who has already had multiple productive seasons for the Broncos and still has the potential that made him a first-round pick just three years ago. Drew Lock has struggled, but a change of scenery could perhaps unlock some of the potential that was seen in the former second-round pick. 

Who Won? Anytime you can get a Super-Bowl winning franchise QB in a trade, it’s hard to complain. But, the Broncos gave up alot. Brendan Waters ‘22 states that the “Seahawks overwhelmingly won the trade due to the draft capital and because of Russell’s age and recent performance.” I say the Seahawks narrowly won the trade, but it is entirely dependent on who they draft.