Seattle is jumping for joy, as Broncos currently sending them No. 3 pick

Our pain continues to be Seattle’s gain.

If the season ended today, the Broncos would be sending the Seahawks the No. 3 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. That’s the second of two first-rounders that Denver GM George Paton gave up to acquire QB Russell Wilson last March. The trade hasn’t worked, at all, as the Broncos have lost seven of eight games and now sit at 3-8 on the season.

Right now, only the Texans (1-9-1) and Bears (3-9) would pick higher. Those two franchises both get to keep their selections, while the No. 4 overall pick currently belongs to the Lions, via the Rams. The defending Super Bowl champions certainly didn’t expect to have a season this bad, and also sit at 3-8. Like the Broncos, they won’t be rewarded with a high selection in a season to forget, thanks to a previous trade.

And for Denver, it’s hard to find many (if any) wins the rest of the season. They have to face the Ravens in Baltimore on Sunday, and still have two games with the Chiefs plus one with the Chargers in Week 18 to finish the season. Only a game in Denver against the Cardinals and a Christmas Day showdown in Los Angeles with the Rams look like possible victories. In fact, the loser of that game will likely send Seattle or Detroit the better pick.

It’s unlikely the Broncos finish with a worse record than the Texans, but it’s definitely possible Paton’s trade could send Pete Carroll and the Seahawks the No. 2 overall selection. That would be the icing on the cake of one of the most lopsided trades in NFL history — for now.

Wilson still has time to turn things around in Denver, as his contract will make him Denver’s QB for awhile. But he’ll need a new head coach and offensive coordinator to put him in position to succeed.

In this lost season, it’s Wilson and the offense’s struggles that will reward the Seahawks with a potentially franchise changing draft selection.

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