Seahawks take an interesting quarterback in NFL.com’s mock draft
By Lee Vowell
The Seahawks need to eventually find their quarterback of the future but might need to wait until 2023 to do so. But NFL.com says Seattle finds a QB in 2022.
In fact, according to their mock draft, not only does Seattle wait to take a QB in the second round after first taking edge rusher Jermaine Johnson with 9 overall, but Seattle trades back into the first round to pick North Carolina’s Sam Howell.
Yes, Sam Howell.
Seahawks move back into first round to take QB Sam Howell in NFL.com mock draft
I have nothing against Howell. Heck, full disclosure, I have been a North Carolina fan most of my life. But Howell is going to last into the second round as he simply has too many question marks about arm strength and deep ball placement after not being great in 2021. He does have ability but is not worth taking a first-round choice on.
Taking a QB in the first round means a lot more commitment than it does taking one in the second. A lot more money is involved. Plus, moving back up into the first round means giving up draft capital for the Seahawks that is likely better spent on greater positions of need. This means not taking an offensive lineman or defensive back higher in the draft and that would be a mistake.
Plus, trading back up for Howell as opposed to other quarterbacks, such as Desmond Ridder, seems weird. The Seahawks usually value players who have good experience but great leadership skills in college and Ridder has the latter more than Howell.
Again, no offense to Howell. I wish him well. But he was fantastic in 2020 when he still had players like Michael Cater and Javonte Williams on his Tar Heels teams and not good enough to truly elevate the players around him in 2021.
Next. Our final 2022 Seahawks mock draft. dark
But Ridder made whatever players were around him at Cincinnati better. The Bearcats were excellent defensively but only as good as they were offensively because Ridder willed them to be. Sam Howell would be a decent second-round pick but Ridder would be a better one. And neither should be taken by the Seahawks in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.