We have reached week 11 of a fascinating college football season, and it is time to officially enter our first level of cuts. Just like this college football season has seen teams rise and fall, with only a few left standing, the same can be said for our QB rankings. Who might, if anyone, the Seahawks choose in the 2023 NFL draft?
Today, we’re going to go through my top-4 tiers of quarterbacks from interesting undrafted projects, to guys that will be nearly impossible to pass with a top-ten pick for the Seahawks.
Top tiers of QBs the Seahawks should look to choose in the 2023 NFL draft: Week 11
Tier 4- Take a late (5th to UDFA) tier:
Jayden Daniels, D.J. Uiagalelei, Stetson Bennett, Max Duggan, K.J. Jefferson, Dillon Gabriel, Tanner McKee, Dorian Thompson-Robinson
All of these quarterbacks have a ton of potential, but also a ton of red flags. Almost all of these quarterbacks bring a mobility weapon to the table that can be tantalizing, yet lack consistency. Quarterbacks like Daniels, Uiagalelei, Gabriel, Jefferson, and Thompson-Robinson all fit this category.
Quarterbacks Stetson Bennett and Max Duggan don’t necessarily fit the mold of a typical NFL quarterback, but they’ve been absolutely solid this year in leading undefeated squads to the brink of a college football playoff spot. Think of these guys in a best-case scenario as a modern Kirk Cousins. They may only ever hold a clipboard, but they can help the franchise off the field, as much as on the field.
Tanner McKee is a unique case. He looks like Joe Flacco, he’s got the size and the arm of a prototypical NFL quarterback. He probably is a 1st round pick if Stanford was 7-3 instead of 3-7. His team is terrible and it’s impossible to see what kind of player he truly is. Consider him one of the bigger wildcards in the draft, assuming he declares.
If Seattle is honest in their desire to lock up Geno Smith to a major contract, then these are the guys to look to for backups going forward.
Tier 3 quarterbacks (3rd-5th round in the draft) for Seahawks future
Tier #3 of the NFL draft takes a look at some talented prospects that I believe can eventually be a starter, but they need to be in the right environment, the right system, and have a couple of seasons to cook and get properly ready. These are the types of quarterbacks to look at if Geno Smith is locked up on a 3-year deal that is full of guaranteed money.
Number 8: KJ Jefferson
NFL Comp: Jacoby Brissett
KJ Jefferson has not had the season he and Arkansas had hoped for when the season started. Injuries and offensive inconsistency have kept Jefferson from reaching his true potential in 2022. Still, Jefferson has incredible physical skills and could be an imposing runner that could be near impossible to stop at the goal line and short yardage. Maybe he could fix the Seahawks short-yardage struggles that have plagued them this season.
Number 7: Jaren Hall
NFL Comp: Zach Wilson
Zach Wilson has had quite the career for only playing in 19 games. The much-maligned quarterback has all the talent in the world to be great. Don’t forget, the San Francisco 49ers supposedly traded their future to draft him, but were sniped by the Jets at #2. The team and environment are critically important to success, and I believe Wilson would be in a much better situation playing for the 49ers, than New York.
Why do I bring Wilson up? Because Jaren Hall is a clone of Zach Wilson. Size, playing style, similar arms, it all matches up. The only difference is BYU has struggled, and this year’s class is much stronger than the 2020 Covid class.
I’m pretty high on Hall, but his season has been quite inconsistent. This could potentially lead to him falling to anywhere between the late 3rd to 5th rounds. I think if BYU would have given him the keys to the offense, BYU is probably threatening to win 10 games this season. Seattle should look to snag him, he could be fully ready to flourish in 2025.
Tier 2 (Potential day 2 picks, but with a big bowl win, or loss, could see their stock fluctuate dramatically)
Number 6: Hendon Hooker
NFL Comp: Less mobile Lamar
The Heisman-hopeful quarterback from Tennessee rebounded from a brutal showing at Georgia, by dropping a 60 bomb on Missouri. The stats show a fantastic QB, but the systematic ease of the offense, combined with how bad things went against an elite team in Georgia, have me mixed with feelings about him.
He can make every throw, but he has rarely been challenged schematically and by his opponents. I personally think that Tennessee may still end up in the CFP, and might get a second chance against Georgia. A great game and Hooker could shoot up the boards. Another poor performance and I think he’ll fall to the 3rd round.
Number 5: Michael Penix Jr.
NFL Comp: Geno Smith
Is there a quarterback in college football that makes more gutsy throws on a consistent basis than Penix? Big Penix Energy has the Dawgs howling after a program-altering win has Washington thinking about the Pac-12 Championship, while Penix is thinking about trying to get his name called in the first round of the draft.
Injuries have destroyed his college career, but this Seattle renaissance has been incredible to watch. All season long, Penix has carried Washington to big numbers, and even bigger wins. In their epic come-from-behind win to eliminate Oregon from the CFP, Penix went off. He tossed for 408 yards, with 300 of that in a second half in which Penix was making difficult NFL throws over and over again.
The Huskies suddenly find themselves looking at a potential Rose Bowl or Cotton Bowl berth, and an appearance in either of those games could continue the Penix ascension. If Geno is locked up, I truly think he’d be a fantastic apprentice to Geno Smith.
Tier 1 (Will all be taken in the 1st round, will all be viewed as franchise quarterbacks)
Number 4: Bryce Young
NFL Comp: Mix of Tyler Huntley and Tua Tagovailoa
Bryce Young rebounded from a difficult and season-altering loss at LSU, to a massive road victory over Lane Kiffin’s Ole Miss Rebels. Young was a cool 21/33 for just over 200 yards but threw three impressive touchdowns in a 30-24 win.
Young looks the part when he throws the football, but there will always be the size concerns. We’ve seen the worst from Russell Wilson, Baker Mayfield, and Kyler Murray recently. I’m curious if that could potentially affect his draft position going forward.
I’m a fan of Young and would be excited if he fell to the Seahawks, but there are quarterbacks that I feel more comfortable with in Seattle for the future.
Number 3: Will Levis
NFL Comp: B version of Josh Allen
Will Levis has and will continue to be the prospect darling for many in the scouting and NFL community. He has every physical tool you could ask for, he plays in the Rams offense at Kentucky, and he’s facing the best in college football week in and week out.
The problem? He and Kentucky haven’t looked great, which has many wondering how good he really is. The answer? He’s a beast and will be great, but he’s in a bad place at Kentucky right now. Kentucky has one of the worst offensive lines in the SEC, and it has led to Levis being constantly hurt. The injuries have taken a toll on Levis, as he’s essentially stopped running this season after being a dangerous mobile QB in 2021.
Get healthy, kill the combine, and watch Levis potentially be the top pick in the draft.
Number 2: Anthony Richardson
NFL Comp: Prime Cam Newton
Another week, another game where AR15 shines in limited opportunities. I continue to bang the drum that Anthony Richardson is the most talented player in college football. No play has the ceiling on the offensive side of the ball that he has.
Put Richardson at Tennessee, Georgia, or Ohio State, and he’s the Heisman winner and top overall pick in the draft. Instead, he’s in a very run-heavy college offense that isn’t very talented. He’s extremely raw, but everything is there for him to be a superstar.
I believe he would be a perfect one-year wait for Seattle. Draft him, let him sit behind Geno for a year, then go Mahomes on everyone.
Number 1: CJ Stroud
NFL Comp: Joe Burrow
C.J. Stroud has been my top quarterback all season for the Seahawks, and that doesn’t change now. Let me be clear, I like Richardson’s ceiling more than Stroud’s, but if Geno is gone next year, and the Seahawks need a QB that can help them win in 2023, Stroud is the clear choice for me.
Calm in the pocket, moderately mobile, reads the field well and throws with the highest accuracy of any player on my list, Stroud can be the plus game manager that Seattle could role with and win with around a great team and defense. If the Seahawks have a top-3 pick, it’s going to be really tough to pass on the win-now quality that C.J. Stroud would provide.