Seahawks Draft: Possible late round QBs to backup Russell Wilson
By Keith Myers
The Seattle Seahawks are in need of a backup QB. Here are some late-round options that might interest them.
The Seattle Seahawks once again are in the market for a QB. This has been a yearly tradition since 2010, though the team no longer needs to worry about finding a starter. What the Seahawks need in someone to backup Russell Wilson.
Tarvaris Jackson has been that guy for the past three seasons. Every year he searches for a situation where he might get on the field, and then every year he signs a one-year deal in Seattle once the market dries up.
Eventually he won’t come back. Seattle needs to have a plan just in case this is the year that happens.
The Seahawks won’t be spending an early or mid round draft pick on a backup QB. If they have to look to the draft, they’ll be dumpster-diving and hoping to unearth a hidden treasure.
That’s a very tall order. Finding a QB is hard enough without having to search though flawed players trying to find one whose flaws you think you can fix.
There aren’t a lot of options, but here are four that would be enticing for Seattle if they drop far enough.
Cardale Jones, Ohio State
Based on potential alone, Jones likely won’t last long enough into Day 3 for the Seahawks to think about taking him. If he drops further than expected, he’d be exactly what the Seahawks are looking for.
Jones has a monster arm, and throws a great deep ball. Throw in that he’s a tremendous runner and he becomes a good fit for the pre-2015 version of Seattle’s offense.
Jones struggles with making quick reads, which is why he isn’t considered a starting NFL at this point. He is still very raw, but there is potential that he could follow the Tyrod Taylor career path and become a starter down the line.
Vernon Adams Jr., Oregon
The Eastern Washington University product, that spent one season as a rent-a-player at Oregon, is a guy that many will incorrectly compare to Russell Wilson. He’s not Russell, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
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Sure he’s short and a good runner. Yes, he’s got tremendous leadership qualities and a great work ethic. The two have those things in common, but that is where it ends.
Adams doesn’t have Wilson’s large hands. Instead, his are rather tiny. He also doesn’t have Wilson’s cannon of an arm. Adams’ is nothing special.
Adams is an NFL career backup. He might not even get drafted, but there are reasons why Seattle should give him a shot.
When Seattle was looking for a backup in 2013, they looked for guys that were good in the film room and in the mental preparation of the game. They knew that having someone like that in the QB room would feed into Wilson’s own meticulous nature.
Adams is that type of guy. If he can show that he can be a sufficient backup during the preseason, then he’d be a great fit in Seattle.
Jeff Driskel, Louisiana Tech
Don’t laugh. This is a serious suggestion. Driskel was terrible at Florida, but that was over a year ago. The Florida version of Driskel was a mess, but he fixed many of his problems this last season.
He has all the physical tools you’d want in a QB. He’s got a strong arm, good downfield accuracy and enough athleticism to work with a messy NFL pocket. He’s also known to have great leadership skills and a solid work ethic.
What worked in his favor at Louisiana Tech was switch to a shotgun offense with much simpler reads. This is similar to what the Seahawks did with Wilson as a rookie.
There are a lot of tools to work with here. It will just require some work to turn them into a productive player.
Seriously, stop laughing.
Kevin Hogan, Stanford
Coming into 2015, Kevin Hogan looked almost undraftable. Now he’s viewed as a solid draft pick with plenty of potential. That’s the product of hard work, both on and off the field.
Hogan definitely looks like an NFL QB. He tall, broad shouldered and has a cannon for an arm. He also shows nice accuracy and touch on all levels. Well, most of the time.
The problem with Hogan is that his delivery mechanics are long and weird. It typically doesn’t cause him problems, but then randomly he’ll miss so badly on a pass that it is difficult to figure out who he was throwing to.
There is also the question of how Hogan will deal with pressure. Playing behind Stanford’s offensive line, he rarely ever dealt with a messy pocket. If he gets drafted by Seattle, he’ll be dealing with the exactly opposite of that.