What Avery Smith Trade Means for Seattle Seahawks

Toledo defensive back Avery Smith speaks to members of the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Avery Smith Trade Means for Seattle Seahawks

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Aug 30, 2026 4:07 PM ET

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On Sunday, the Seattle Seahawks and the rest of the NFL have been hard at work making their final decisions for their initial 53-man roster.

Seattle has a talented roster, which isn't surprising considering they just won the Super Bowl. That said, there's one position that has been standing out as a major concern: cornerback. The Seahawks know this, which is why they added two big-name veterans in Trevon Diggs and Terrion Arnold.

Diggs will help immedietely, and even had an interception in his preseason debut. Arnold, however, will be placed on the Commissioner's Exempt List due to an off-field allegation. Even with Diggs, however, the Seahawks felt they needed more help, so they sent a 2027 sixth-round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers for former Toledo standout Avery Smith.

What does Avery Smith trade mean for the depth chart?

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Before seeing what the Smith addition does to the depth chart, let's see what the Seahawks secondary depth chart looked like entering the day. Here's who they had at cornerback:

Michael Dansby
Trevon Diggs
Andre Fuller
Noah Igbinoghene
Josh Jobe
Julian Neal
Nehemiah Pritchett
Jordan Washington
Devon Witherspoon

Terrion Arnold not listed since he is on the exempt list.

At safety, here's who Seattle had to begin the day:

D'Anthony Bell
Bud Clark (Reserve/Injured)
Nick Emmanwori
AJ Finley
Maxen Hook
Tysheem Johnson
Julian Love
Ty Okada
Rodney Thomas II

As of this writing, the Seahawks have waived Michael Dansby and D'Anthony Bell. The Bell release might have been in large part due to the addition of Smith, since the Toledo product is best utilizied in the slot.

Bell was listed as the primary slot defender behind Nick Emmanwori. With Bell out, Noah Igbinoghene is next in line and might be needed early in the year. Emmanwori has been rehabbing from offseason surgery and while he has been cleared to return, his Week 1 status is in doubt.

Adding Smith suggests the Seahawks might not believe Emmanwori will be ready to take the field when they face off with the New England Patriots. It could also mean they don't believe Igbinoghene is the right answer as the reserve nickel. As for the rest of the defensive backs on the bubble, such as Nehemiah Pritchett, Smith's addition will likely have very little bearing.

What did the Seahawks get in Avery Smith?

IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At 5-foot-10 and 196 pounds, Smith doesn't have the ideal size to line up on the boundary. He's a former quarterback, however, which gives him excellent instincts in coverage.

Smith, although willing to deliver hits, needs to improve on tackling since missed tackles were a concern during his collegiate career. Overall, he's a promising player who has the right mental makeup and can be developed into a solid contributor with the right coaching.