Five 2024 first-rounders Seattle Seahawks should consider to replace Geno Smith
By Boade Rowe
The next best - Jayden Daniels, LSU
This year's newest Heisman Trophy winner has been flying up draft boards. His athleticism has been drawing comparisons to former NFL MVP Lamar Jackson. After initially struggling at Arizona State, Jayden Daniels had a spectacular season after transferring to LSU.
The main worry with Daniels is the early collegiate struggles and increasing belief that this prolific season might be a one-year wonder that he can accredit to his time spent maturing in college under Herm Edwards. No matter what criticism Daniels may face, no one can deny his elite athleticism and extremely high upside as a draft prospect, similar to Anthony Richardson last year. Depending on the pre-draft process, this prospect could go in the top 3 or slide to the late first round, so the Seahawks may be an ideal team to take such a high-risk, high-reward type of move.
A potential franchise quarterback - Drake Maye, North Carolina
I've always wondered why UNC quarterbacks have been highly regarded over the past decade when evaluating college talent. After asking myself that with Mitch Trubisky and Sam Howell, that is a question I do not need to ask myself when watching Drake Maye. It's clear why some talent evaluators call him the number two pick in the draft.
Drake Maye is the kind of prospect that has everything a QB needs at the next level physically; Maye has a rocket arm, above-average athleticism for a player his size, and is highly accurate at times. Where Drake struggles is the mental aspect of the game. Maye's most significant criticism now is the time he takes to throw due to his incapability to process reads quickly. Drake Maye may be the perfect quarterback prospect for the Seahawks to develop behind Geno Snith while he plays his current contract out. Still, the likelihood that Drake Maye will be available at Seattle's selection is unlikely.