The Seattle Seahawks are 8-7 and if they win their next two games, they will once again make the postseason. But is Seattle simply a slightly better than mediocre team that is going to stay that way for a few years or are they capable of making a leap in 2024? Plus, is Geno Smith (or Drew Lock) the quarterback capable of helping the team make that leap?
If Seattle is going to take a couple of the quarterbacks that follow, they will need to trade up in the draft. You can already see who I have as the "dream" choice and I am aware that Williams is not going to hang around until Seattle picks, likely closer to the 20s than the top ten. Yet anything can happen once general manager John Schneider starts working his draft-trade magic.
As far as some of the other quarterbacks, they might actually be around in the late teens of the draft. A prospect will rise and fall based on the combine and their personal pro day. Who we see as a lock to be a top-five pick now might not stay that way in April. But here are five quarterback picks that would be great long-term for the Seahawks.
The dream pick for the Seattle Seahawks - Caleb Williams, USC
Caleb Williams's rise in college football has been nothing short of transcendent. He started as a backup to Spencer Rattler. Ever since stepping in for the struggling Rattler, he has been one of the most explosive players, if not the most explosive, in all of college football. Since following Lincoln Riley to USC, Williams has scored a total of 93 touchdowns with a mere ten interceptions over 26 games.
Considering NFL teams are all looking for a Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen-type upside, Caleb Williams is a virtual guarantee to be the number one player selected in next year's draft. The only question is, who's going to get him? For Seattle to have a chance at a prospect of Caleb Williams's caliber, John Schnieder would have to have an out-of-character impulse to mortgage the future to go up to the top of the first round.
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.
Hometown hero - Michael Penix, Jr., Washington
Michael Penix Jr. reminds me a lot of Tua Tagovailoa, not for the left-handed similarity alone. Penix has struggled with injuries throughout his collegiate career, but this past year he led one of college football's most prolific passing offenses. Penix displayed the ability to make tight-window throws and did it with anticipation and confidence. His pinpoint accuracy may be his most robust ability as a quarterback.
Still, he needs to improve his ability to consistently make multiple reads under pressure and seemingly becomes timid under a heavy blitz. Penix's ability to lead massive game-winning drives and consistently come through in the clutch impressed me the most this season, leading Washington to an undefeated regular season. Another attractive factor for Seattle is that Michael Penix Jr. may be available at whatever draft selection the Seahawks find themselves after the dust settles from the season. Penix would also have the chance to stay in Seattle as a pro.
A veteran college quarterback - Bo Nix, Oregon
Many quarterbacks in today's transfer portal era are hard to evaluate due to the different game tapes most athletes put on at different schools and differing points of their collegiate careers. That is an accurate depiction of what scouting Bo Nix is like. If evaluators were going strictly off of what they've seen lately, Nix would be a top-10 selection.
After a somewhat abysmal career at Auburn in terms of draft relevance, Bo Nix has supplanted himself as a top QB prospect this year at Oregon. Nix has always had excitement as a player, but he struggled to lead a highly proficient offense at Auburn. But since transferring to Oregon, Bo immediately proved to most college scouts he could translate his talent to production on the field.
Although Nix shows good intelligence and great ball placement, he may get buried in a deep quarterback draft class. But if Seattle does decide to look for a young signal-caller to groom for the future, I wouldn't be surprised if Bo Nix found his way to the Pacific Northwest.