49ers' George Kittle: Seahawks Attempted to Trade Up for Me in 2017 NFL Draft

Imagine, for a second, star tight end George Kittle on the Seattle Seahawks instead of the San Francisco 49ers. Hard to see him on his divisional rival, right?

But it almost came to pass. Kittle told Matt Verderame on the Stacking The Box podcast that the Seahawks gave him a call and said they were attempting to trade up to draft him during the fifth round of the 2017 NFL draft:

"It was probably a minute before the Niners called me, my agent said, 'Hey, the Seahawks are calling. They said they're trading up to get you.' And then, literally, I'm on the phone with him, my agent, and—he's on my dad's phone—and then I got a call from the Bay Area, and I was like, 'I'm getting a call from the Bay.' He was like, 'Hang up on me and answer that.' I was like, 'Alright, sick.'

"The next thing I know, I'm talking to John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan, saying that they're drafting me, and they're excited to work with me. I was like, 'I'm excited to be there. Let's roll.'"

Since that selection, Kittle has caught 264 passes for 3,579 yards and 14 touchdowns. He's already a two-time Pro Bowler and was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2019. 

He's been so good, in fact, that Pro Football Focus ranked him the top player in all of football in 2019. Injuries limited him to eight games last season, however, keeping him from defending his crown. 

Oh, and against the Seahawks, Kittle has posted 26 receptions for 289 yards in seven matchups. Not huge numbers, but he's made his presence felt. 

Seattle, meanwhile, hasn't had a tight end register over 300 receiving yards in a single season since Kittle entered the league. Granted, the emergence of receivers like D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett has given Russell Wilson some excellent weapons.

But to be sure, you can bet Wilson and the Seahawks wished they had landed Kittle in 2017. Frankly, every other team around the NFL is wishing the same.