5 quarterback options should Seattle Seahawks want to move on from Geno Smith

No. 2 - Seattle could draft J.J. McCarthy

Mel Kiper, Jr. had McCarthy going to the Seahawks in his first mock draft of 2024 even though Kiper did not have a first-round grade on McCarthy. That is because while at the University of Michigan, McCarthy was not counted on to single-handedly win football games for the Wolverines. Instead, he was supposed to make throws when needed, run when a play broke down, and not turn the ball over.

McCarthy accomplished all that, especially not turning the ball over. In 713 career throws in college, McCarthy had just 11 interceptions. He threw 49 touchdown passes and completed 67.7 percent of his passes. In 2023, he completed 72.3 percent of his passes.

While a bit more unproven compared to some other draft-eligible quarterbacks because the team around him was so good, McCarthy could be the perfect rookie quarterback simply because he doesn't turn the ball over.

There is also an important connection between McCarthy and Mike Macdonald. Macdonald was Michigan's defensive coordinator during McCarthy's first year as Michigan's starting quarterback. Macdonald would have gone against McCarthy in practice and would know the quarterback's potential and areas of improvement. Macdonald also would know how McCarthy's skills would translate to the NFL.