Max Unger

Seattle sent All-Pro C Max Unger and the #31 overall pick to New Orleans for TE Jimmy Graham and a 4th-rounder. Graham had productive moments and Pro Bowl recognition in Seattle, but the cost of losing Unger and first-round value made the fit and value increasingly hard to defend. The Graham trade is Seattle's clearest scheme-fit failure. Graham's value in New Orleans came from a high-volume passing system; Seattle asked him to fit into a run-first offense that relied on tight-end blocking. Unger stabilized the Saints' line, while Seattle's offensive line weakened during Russell Wilson's prime. Winner: New Orleans Saints.

Seattle traded up in the 2009 second round to select C/G Max Unger, a future Pro Bowl lineman and key piece of the Super Bowl-era offense. Unger became the kind of interior-line stabilizer Seattle badly needed as the roster transitioned toward the Pete Carroll era. The cost — a third and fourth — was manageable, and the return became a multi-year starter with Pro Bowl value. This is exactly the kind of mid-round trade-up that works: a defined need, a premium fit, and a long-term starter.