John Schneider explains Seahawks giving up 2027 fourth-round pick to draft Beau Stephens

Mar 1, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Iowa offensive lineman Beau Stephens (OL48) during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images The Seattle Seahawks didn’t have a fourth- or fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft as a result of the Rashid Shaheed trade , but John Schneider was able to maneuver his way back into the fifth round by dipping into next year’s draft capital. Seattle gave up a 2027 fourth-rounder to the Cleveland Browns for pick 148, which was used on All-American Iowa guard Beau Stephens .

General manager John Schneider explained why they made the move, citing incoming compensatory picks as a factor. “It was too big of a gap and too much talent there” Schneider said. “Beau came on a 30 visit.

Really cool, right? Just the process of [him] coming in. “We were pretty surprised [he was available at 148],” Schneider added.

“But when the guy lasts that long, you’re like, ‘Okay, how do we figure this out? ’ We did have a plan to play the compensatory game, if you will. We were, like, ‘We have the 12 picks next year.