INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 27: Avery Smith of the Toledo Rockets participates in a drill during the 2026 NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium on February 27, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) Getty
Rookie cornerback Avery Smith already sounds comfortable with the standard attached to playing defense in Seattle .
Smith met with reporters Thursday after joining the Seattle Seahawks from the Los Angeles Chargers , and the former Toledo standout didn't undersell the history he's stepping into.
"Legendary defenses are built in Seattle. LOB and now you got the MOB," Smith said, referring to the Legion of Boom and the current Seahawks' MOB mantra.
The comment came after Smith described the Aug. 30 trade as a surprise. Seattle sent a 2027 sixth-round pick to Los Angeles for the undrafted rookie.
"Surprising. Can't be mad at that; I am glad and excited to be a Seahawk," Smith said. He added that he is learning the playbook and said the process is "going well."
The bigger challenge now is carving out a role in a secondary attached to some of the highest expectations in football.
Smith's "legendary" description makes sense after the season Seattle just completed.
The Seahawks won Super Bowl LX 29-13 over the Patriots in February, with their defense holding New England scoreless through three quarters and producing six sacks and three takeaways. Seattle also allowed the fewest points in the NFL during the regular season, while its defense finished No. 1 in DVOA and eighth among defenses measured since 1978.
That group became known as "The Dark Side," while MOB — short for "Mission Over" an expletive — developed into a broader team mantra under Mike Macdonald. Smith loosely tied it to the Legion of Boom during his first week in Seattle, showing he already understands the lineage surrounding the franchise's defense.
He's joining a cornerback group headlined by Devon Witherspoon , while veteran Trevon Diggs is on the practice squad after Seattle's final roster cuts.
So, Smith has an opportunity to learn behind established players and potentially earn a role in sub-packages and on special teams. Seattle's call to acquire him suggests the Seahawks saw more than a developmental flier.
The Chargers signed Smith as an undrafted free agent in May after four seasons at Toledo. He appeared in 51 college games , totaling 127 tackles, three interceptions and 29 passes defensed.
Smith then produced 15 tackles and one pass defensed across three preseason games for Los Angeles. The Chargers described him as having a strong training camp, but a veteran-heavy cornerback depth chart made him expendable when general manager Joe Hortiz turned Smith into a 2027 sixth-round pick.
Seattle saw enough to pay that price.
Smith also brings an interesting background to the position. He played quarterback growing up, with Cam Newton serving as one of his role models, and originally went to Toledo as a quarterback before moving to cornerback. His Seahawks bio notes that Smith threw for 3,208 yards and rushed for 913 yards as a high school senior.
It's that type of offensive experience can help a defensive back understand route concepts and a quarterback's intentions, even as Smith adjusts to a much more complex NFL scheme.
The rookie said he can play across the back end, and his college production points to a player willing to tackle as well as cover.
There's no guarantee Smith will have a defensive role right off the bat when Seattle opens the season against the Patriots on Sept. 9. He arrived only days before Week 1 and is still digesting Macdonald's system.
Nonetheless, Smith has already made clear what he believes he joined.
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