Seattle Seahawks do not pick a QB in CBS Sports 2023 mock draft

The Seattle Seahawks don’t need a quarterback anytime soon, at least not according to a recent CBS Sports 2023 mock draft.

The Seahawks are far exceeding expectations so far in 2022. Not only does Seattle seem on course for a winning season this year, but this team could even find its way into the playoffs. Seattle currently sits in first place in the NFC West, though the last four games of the year could be brutal.

One thing is surprising sure, however, and that is quarterback Geno Smith is playing the best football of his life and also playing so well he is worthy of being the Seahawks quarterback for the next few years. He is only 32 years old.

In our latest 2023 NFL mock draft, we didn’t have Seattle choosing a quarterback until the second round. Even then it was Florida’s Anthony Richardson who will probably need at least a year to sit and learn in the NFL to be able to hone his raw skill. But CBS Sports recently put out a mock draft for the first round of 2023 (Seattle, of course, has two first-round picks) and they don’t have Seattle choosing a quarterback either.

Seahawks don’t take a first-round quarterback in CBS Sports mock draft

Instead, Seattle chooses an edge rusher at pick 11 (originally the Denver Broncos pick that Seattle got in the trade involving Russell Wilson) and a receiver at pick 21. (It should be noted that if Seattle chooses their own original pick at number 21 this means they would have made the playoffs this year.) This mock draft allows Smith to stay at QB while continuing to build the team overall.

At pick 11, the Seahawks would choose Florida State’s Jared Verse. Verse is 6’4″ and 250 pounds and has a lot of speed. Through 8 games (through this past Friday), Verse had 5.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. He is great against the pass and good against the run.

At number 21, Seattle would choose North Carolina’s Josh Downs. Downs has been a bit banged up in 2022 but still has 63 catches in 7 games for the Tar Heels. In 2021, he had 101 catches and 1,335 yards. 8 of Downs’ 63 receptions this season have gone for touchdowns. Downs is about the same size as Tyler Lockett and, per CBS Sports, could be Lockett’s replacement one day. He can also return punts pretty well.

Is there any guess currently as to what the Seahawks do in next year’s draft? Of course, not. Heck, even on draft days we have no idea what Pete Carroll and John Schneider will do. Still, it is fun to speculate.