Just how high will Seahawks’ pick from Wilson trade to Broncos get?

There are a lot of factors that go into why the Seahawks’ trade of Russell Wilson to the Broncos has turned out great in Seattle and, well, the exact opposite in Denver.

A Denver perspective of Seahawks’ trade of Russell Wilson to Broncos

Brandon Stokley, a former star NFL receiver who spent time with both the Broncos and Seahawks, now hosts Stokley and Zach for The Fan 104.3 FM in Denver, a sister station of Seattle Sports, so he’s seen the entire situation with Wilson up close this season.

“It’s been bad and we are starting an investigation here on all Seattle Seahawks – (coach) Pete Carroll, (general manager) John Schneider,” Stokley joked when he joined Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Tuesday. “Y’all sold us a lemon.”

Stokley went through quite the list when Mike Salk asked him what the worst part of the Wilson trade has been.

“Oh my gosh, everything,” Stokley responded. “I mean, he’s played awful. They gave him a huge contract, so it’s not like you can move on from him really here in the next couple of years. You’re probably stuck for three years. … And you traded away a couple first-round picks.”

And that’s the most interesting part of all for the Seahawks and their fans, because the second of those first-rounders comes in 2023, meaning it’s tied to how Denver finishes this season. Currently, the Broncos are 3-8, which not only has them in last place in the AFC West but in line for the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. And with the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears both at 3-9, it won’t take much for Denver to fall even farther down the overall standings.

“It might be the No. 2 overall pick this year, guys,” Stokley said to Salk and Brock Huard, his former Indianapolis Colts teammate. “I mean, that’s a big deal. And so it’s all of it rolled into one. It’s just been a complete disaster this year.”

As if things couldn’t get any better for the Seahawks in this conversation, Stokley expects the Broncos to be in battle with the Rams for that No. 2 pick. The Rams, of course, are an NFC West rival and won the Super Bowl last year, so they’ve had quite the fall themselves. And like Denver, they don’t own their first-round pick in 2023, with it going to Detroit as part of the 2021 trade that brought quarterback Matthew Stafford to LA.

“They play in December,” Stokley said about the Broncos and Rams. “That might be the loser of that game gets the No. 2 pick… I think it’s the two or three pick (that Seattle will be getting from Denver). I mean, it’s gonna be a top five pick, certainly. They (the Broncos) still got the Chiefs twice – I don’t expect them to win one of those football games. You got the Chargers late in the season. They might win one more game. I just don’t see them winning two more games. So you’re gonna have a top three, top four pick for sure.”

You can listen to the full conversation with Stokley in the podcast below.

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