Seattle Seahawks mock draft, Frank Clark trade edition

Pick 154: Seattle Seahawks select Gardner Minshew, QB WSU

There have been a few consistencies in my mock drafts. One is that the Seahawks will take a wide receiver before the end of round 2. The other is the need for the Seahawks to take a developmental quarterback.

I’ve kicked around a few players like Ryan Finley, Easton Stick, and Tyree Jackson. I like all those players more than Gardner Minshew, but I want to talk about him today. Minshew picked Washington State University over Alabama and led the Cougars to a magical season which very nearly ended with them in the Rose Bowl.

Minshew was only on campus for one season but won over his team and campus with ease. He brought confidence to the program and helped ease the tragic loss of Tyler Hilinski just months earlier.

GM John Schneider was consistent in his description of what the team looks for in a quarterback that goes all the way back to the selection of Russell Wilson. To paraphrase, the Seahawks want guys who “tilt the room”. They walk into a program and change it. Sounds like Minshew to me.

On the field, Minshew is a cerebral quarterback despite the air raid offense run by Mike Leach. He is creative when plays break down. He is smart and accurate. Minshew does a good job of avoiding negative plays. He understands route concepts and can read a defense.

Yes, he is on the shorter side of a QB. His arm strength is average at best. But his football IQ and intangibles are off the charts. In the right system, he could be in the NFL for a decade plus. NFL.com compares him to Chase Daniels. The insurance policy on Russell Wilson is well worth a 5th round pick.