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# ‘Surprised’ Avery Smith Excited to Join Seahawks, Carve Out Role With Defending Champs
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/surprised-avery-smith-seattle-seahawks-carve-out-role-defending-champs/
- Published: 2026-09-05T05:24:34.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T06:13:32.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: Features, Seahawks, Avery Smith

RENTON, Wash. - Hours before the NFL’s roster cutdown deadline arrived, Avery Smith found himself in the same position as the vast majority of undrafted rookies around the league, restlessly sitting on pins and needles hanging onto hopes of making the Los Angeles Chargers’ 53-man roster.

But Smith’s short NFL journey took an unexpected, rare detour. Rather than being informed by the Chargers that he had made the team or been cut, the former Toledo standout learned that fate had entirely different plans, taking him to the Pacific Northwest as a member of the Seahawks, indeed making a 53-man roster but with a different team than the one he had suited up for since early May.

After scrambling to gather his belongings and embark on the trip north to the Emerald City in a matter of days, Smith’s whirlwind of a week led to him donning a No. 27 uniform in his first practice as a Seahawk on Thursday, still plenty shocked to be in his new surroundings.

“I follow football, and I haven’t really heard of an undrafted free agent getting traded before the regular season,” Smith said, expressing his excitement for joining the Seahawks amid the unexpected. “So that is what surprised me.”

Such shock and awe is more than understandable when it comes to a player in Smith’s situation. As he told reporters following Thursday’s shorter-than-usual non-padded practice, it isn’t common for undrafted rookies that didn’t even hear their name called in the most recent NFL draft to suddenly become coveted enough in a matter of months that another team will trade a future pick to acquire the player. And in the case where that does happen, it’s even more unlikely that the team that signed that player would turn around and part ways with him.

But that’s exactly what transpired on Sunday, as Seahawks general manager John Schneider and the organization’s personnel department had long had eyes on Smith - who garnered Second-Team All-MAC honors as a senior and participated in the NFL combine in February - dating back to before the pre-draft process in the spring. A source in the building indicated the team had late round grades on both the ex-Rockets cornerback and his former - and now current - teammate Andre Fuller, who they selected in the seventh round in April and recently re-signed to the practice squad.

While Seattle couldn’t land Smith in the post-draft process - Schneider had a far tougher time luring undrafted players than usual with the franchise having 75 players signed to the 90-man roster before the draft and eight draft picks added on top of that for the reigning Super Bowl champions - the pro personnel department continued to monitor him during the preseason playing for the Chargers. In three exhibition games, he totaled 17 tackles and a pass breakup while adding four pressures on 10 blitz attempts, posting quality numbers with a near 50/50 split playing on the boundary and in the slot.

When asked about how he assessed his performance in the preseason, Smith acknowledged that he’s a self-proclaimed “hard critic” evaluating his own play, a characteristic that would stand out as a positive for Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald.

“Stuff I seen that I could have done better,” Smith commented, likely thinking about a five-yard touchdown catch allowed in coverage against the Texans last month. “But I feel like I made some plays, so just trying to build on that.”

As cutdown day approached, with Smith turning in what Schneider called a “phenomenal” preseason while speaking with media on Sunday afternoon shortly after the deadline passed, the reigning Executive of the Year picked up the phone and called Chargers general manager Joe Hortiz to see if he could strike a deal for the rookie cornerback after failing to sign him in the spring. Fortunately for the Seahawks, Hortiz was willing to listen to offers given the talent and depth that the Chargers had in their secondary, and a 2027 sixth round pick provided an enticing return for an undrafted player that he couldn’t turn down.

As he has done on several occasions in the past via a late August or early September trade leading up to final cuts, Schneider got his man, adding another intriguing young talent with versatility and scheme familiarity to an evolving cornerback room that has changed substantially since the team hoisted the Lombardi Trophy in February.

“Coming out, we liked him as a smart, tough, reliable guy, very instinctive. They \[the Chargers\] couldn't speak more highly of him,” Schneider said. “And they had a really nice defensive backfield. They did a really nice job in the offseason and they felt like this was an opportunity. I'm glad they were willing to do it. So yeah, we'll be adding him and get him in the mix. Another young guy that could play some nickel and outside, and then we'll see what he can do on teams.”

Coming to Seattle, Smith joked that he has now joined forces with the “Toledo Seahawks,” as he was reunited with not only Fuller but also second-year safety Maxen Hook. While Fuller missed all of the 2024 season due to injury, Smith and Hook both garnered All-MAC honors as the latest defensive backs from the program to emerge as NFL-caliber prospects.

Just one year earlier, cornerback Quinyon Mitchell went 22nd overall to the Eagles in the 2024 NFL Draft, while 6-3 safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren went to the Browns in the second round in this year’s draft, showcasing the impressive amount of secondary talent coming from northwest Ohio. What once was one of the league’s best kept secrets has evolved into an elite defensive back pipeline, and the Seahawks certainly have dipped into those waters on multiple occasions in recent years.

Interestingly, while Hook and Fuller each received First-Team recognition and Smith only finished as a Second-Team selection twice in the conference known for mid-week “MAC-tion,” barring a move in the next five days, the latter will be the only one on Seattle’s 53-man roster.

“Toledo, we got good DBs and good players, so just kind of get in the league and do that,” Smith remarked.

Looking at the big picture, thrusting an undrafted rookie into meaningful defensive snaps early would be a risky play for Macdonald. Even with him coming from a similar defensive system with the Chargers, there will be nuances and verbiage that he has to acclimate to with his new team before he’s ready to be thrown into the lineup. Though he’s on the 53-man roster and should stay there given what the Seahawks traded to acquire him, there’s a developmental component that will need to be met for him to succeed in a complex scheme.

But Seattle’s personnel department clearly loved what it saw from Smith both on his college film as well as his dress rehearsals in the preseason, with Schneider making the uncommon play to surrender a future pick for his services. Such a move would not have happened if the front office and coaching staff do not foresee the potential for him to play significant snaps down the road, and the fact that they chose to trade for him rather than keep veteran Noah Igbinoghene after the veteran turned in a strong camp speaks volumes.

Considering Toledo has scheduled difficult games against Power 4 foes in recent years, including battling Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Illinois over the past three seasons, Smith won’t be deterred by the level of competition. That couldn’t have been better evidenced by his stellar play in training camp and the preseason with the Chargers.

Getting his feet wet learning Macdonald’s defense, Smith should be able to make an immediate impact for Jay Harbaugh on special teams, which on its own merit would be worth a future sixth round pick if he turns into a quality teamer on punt and kick coverage as a rookie. Aiming to swiftly pick up a new playbook while lining up at multiple positions, he has sights on contributing in any way he can for a defending champion with a storied history on defense.

“Legendary defenses are made in Seattle. You had the L.O.B., now you have the M.O.B., so I’m just trying to come in and fit in where I fit in, honestly.”