Ranking the quarterbacks the Seahawks should take in the 2023 NFL draft

The Seattle Seahawks chose Geno Smith to be their starting quarterback in 2022. He isn’t a long-term option. But a 2023 draftee might be.

The Seahawks need to find their new Russell Wilson-type quarterback. Wilson is clearly the best quarterback in Seattle franchise history but he was good because while he could throw, he could run a bit as well.

Gone are the days in the NFL when a quarterback could be a statue, stand tall in the pocket and not get hit hard and often. The speed of the NFL has increased greatly over the decades and teams need quarterbacks with speed now too.

So who will the Seahawks take in the 2023 NFL draft at quarterback? Likely a player who can throw the deep pass with accuracy but also move around a bit.

5 quarterbacks the Seahawks should look to choose in the 2023 NFL draft

Number 5: Hendon Hooker, Tennessee

Hooker is the most polished quarterback coming out after the 2022 season. And he is also somewhat productive because Tennessee coach Josh Huepel is a bit of an offensive genius. That said, Hooker is tall with a strong and accurate arm but he also has the ability to run extremely well.

But one of the things that separates Hooker from other college quarterbacks who are tall and fast is his touch on deep passes. In 2021, Tennessee started Joe Milton at quarterback. Milton has a cannon for an arm but absolutely no touch on deep passes. He could throw the ball 50 yards easily but they were all line drives.

Hooker stepped in for Milton and Tennessee’s offense immediately took off and a big reason is Hooker knows how to throw a receiver open but can hit a well-covered receiver deep downfield with touch and accuracy.

It will be interesting to see how Hooker develops over the course of this year. He started well in Tennessee’s first game against outmatch Ball State as Hooker had 2 rushing touchdowns and 2 passing TDs. He has the physical ability to translate that into being a successful pro.