Seattle Seahawks 2023 mock draft: Never too early to guess
By Lee Vowell
First round
What? Not going with a quarterback first? The reason is two-fold. One is that if Seattle chooses around pick 9 overall again, the likely top two quarterbacks – C.J. Stroud of Ohio State and Bryce Young of Alabama – are going to be off the board. There is a lot more quality QB depth in the 2023 draft, however, compared to 2022.
The second reason is that a team cannot have too many young edge rushers and Smith is just a freak. Plus, he plays the run very well. Jordyn Brooks is going to be starting at linebacker for the Seahawks for years but might need a new partner in 2023 depending on how well Cody Barton plays in 2022. Smith next to Brooks could form one of the best LB duos in the NFL.
Seattle has two picks in the first round in 2023. One is their own and the second belonged to Denver before the Russell Wilson trade. If Denver does well then Seattle’s second first-round pick will be late in the draft. But Denver plays in a tough division and their season might not go as well as they hoped. This would put Seattle in a good spot to nab a good QB.
With Seattle’s second pick in round one, they draft their future long-term QB. Richardson is still a bit raw but will have another year in college to season. His physical skills are immense and he is 6’3″ and 235 pounds. He runs a bit like Cam Newton and has a strong arm. He just needs to work on his accuracy.