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John Schneider: Seahawks have eight draft picks -- 'for now'

John Schneider hasn't drafted from his original position in the first round since 2011. AP Photo/Ted S. Warren

INDIANAPOLIS -- The Seattle Seahawks currently have eight selections in April’s NFL draft. General manager John Schneider clarified that Friday before offering an important albeit obvious addendum:

That could change.

Schneider’s history of wheeling and dealing suggests it very likely will change.

So does what he said during his news conference at the scouting combine about being “open to anything” in terms of decisions that could drastically alter Seattle’s roster. “Anything” would include trading star players such as Michael Bennett -- whom the team is shopping -- and/or Earl Thomas in moves that would bring back draft picks.

At present, the Seahawks have a first-rounder (No. 18 overall), one fourth-rounder, three fifth-rounders and three seventh-rounders.

“So, it is eight,” Schneider said, “for now.”

That cleared up some of the uncertainty about Seattle’s pick total and some confusion about the round-by-round breakdown. It got a bit complicated as a result of Schneider making eight trades in the past 10 months that involved 2018 selections.

One of them was a conditional trade with the Kansas City Chiefs for offensive tackle Isaiah Battle. The Seahawks apparently don’t have to give up a seventh-round pick as a result of the trade conditions not being met. Battle was inactive for all seven games he spent on Seattle’s 53-man roster before being waived then re-signed to the practice squad.

Two of the other trades were for defensive tackle Sheldon Richardson and left tackle Duane Brown. The picks the Seahawks gave up for those players included their second- and third-rounders this year.

But knowing Schneider, there might be a better chance of Russell Wilson hitting for the cycle in a Yankees game than the Seahawks going the entire second day of the draft without making a selection.

Consider this: The Seahawks haven’t made their original first-round pick since 2011, when they took James Carpenter 25th overall. Since then, they’ve given up their first-rounder in trades for Percy Harvin (2013) and Jimmy Graham (2015). Every other year since 2011 they’ve either traded back in the first round or traded out of it entirely in order to add more picks.

Schneider made several mentions during his combine presser of the Seahawks not having selections in the second or third rounds.

At least for now, they don’t.

"Right now, we’re sitting here specifically without a two and a three, which is a really fun challenge for us," he said. "Like, all right, how do we figure out how to compensate for those openings?"