3 quarterbacks Seahawks should target (and 2 they should avoid) in 2024 NFL draft

The Seattle Seahawks seem set at quarterback entering next season. Geno Smith is under contract and the team has turned his roster bonus into a signing bonus so trading him now seems illogical. But Seattle does need a backup to Smith and a long-term replacement.

Seattle probably also has greater needs in the 2024 NFL draft than choosing a quarterback. Of the quarterbacks listed here, all could be available at pick number 16 in the first round or in later rounds. If Seattle were to try to trade up in the draft to take a quarterback, this article would be different, of course. The chances of Seattle moving high into the first round, though, seem extremely unlikely.

Seattle could wait until 2025 to draft a quarterback, but that probably means Smith keeps being QB1 beyond next season. Anything is possible now that general manager John Schneider has full control over the roster. But if Seattle does go after a quarterback in the 2024 draft, here are some do's and don'ts.

Five quarterbacks the Seattle Seahawks might think of taking in the 2024 NFL draft

Target: Bo Nix, Oregon

Nix definitely has his disadvantages. He will be 24 years old in Week 1 of 2024 and that makes him one of the older potentially high-end quarterbacks entering the draft. He does have 61 games of experience in college - a record - but he probably needs to sit a year and get used to the speed of the NFL before being allowed to be QB1. That means he is 25 years old in his first year of starting would would make him 28 or 29 (depending on his fifth-year option if he is chosen in the first round) when his rookie deal is up.

But there is also a lot to like about Nix. He is incredibly accurate and has good speed so that if he needs to run he can and he is capable of using his legs to win games. While he doesn't have the arm strength of a young John Elway, he does have enough to make any throw on the field and his touch is excellent. He also excels at improvising when a play breaks down.

Nix will probably go in the first round, but Seattle also might be able to trade down, add a second-round choice, and get Nix. Geno Smith could then start in 2024 and Nix could take over in 2025. The Seahawks would then have their young quarterback to work with a young roster and make the team dangerous for most of the next decade.

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Avoid: Joe Milton, Tennessee

People who have not seen much of Joe Milton are going to fall in love with how far he can throw a football. With ease, Milton can throw 70 yards. The issue is that being a successful quarterback is much more than telling your receivers to go long. Plus, even if Milton's receiver is wide open 60 yards down the field, Milton is inaccurate that he might not hit the open receiver.

That is the tricky part of the Tennessee quarterback. He has the raw physical ability to do anything on the field, but the poor decision-making and inaccuracy to ruin any offense. He is also a skilled runner, but he doesn't seem to be able to make quick decisions on when to take off. He is a long-term project for an NFL team yet he is already 24 years old.

Target: J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Like Bo Nix, McCarthy probably needs a year to sit in the league before taking over as a starting quarterback. But in comparison to Nix, McCarthy is only 21 years old and teams can afford that. While there is some question about his arm strength, probably because Michigan ran the ball so much and McCarthy did not have to showcase his skills, he proved at the NFL Combine that he has more than enough velocity to be successful.

McCarthy can also move around well. If he needs to avoid pressure, he can not only do that but he can pick up chunk yards. He resembles a young Steve Young with his athletic ability. McCarthy also plays with an offensive lineman's mentality and appears to take umbrage at someone trying to tackle him or stop his offense.

Avoid: Spencer Rattler, South Carolina

Rattler is a bit like Joe Milton only there were some alleged character issues with Rattler in college and Milton seems like a stand-up guy. Rattler appears to have interviewed well at the combine, though, and has stayed out of trouble since transferring to South Carolina from Oklahoma. He does have great arm strength and at times appears to be capable of being an elite quarterback, but he is extremely inconsistent.

This does not seem like an easy mechanical fix, however. Rattler's ups and downs seem to come from his focus and his questionable on-field decision-making. The quarterback's best season in college also may have come several years ago in 2020 when he was still with the Sooners. While he hasn't thrown a large number of interceptions, his touchdown percentage was also relatively low for a presumably high-end college quarterback.

Target: Michael Penix, Jr., Washington

I know there are many who do not want Penix coming to the Seahawks. I am not completely sure why. Did he have an injury history early in college when he was still at Indiana? Yes. He didn't after he transferred to Washington, though. There should also be no question as to whether he has an NFL arm because he most certainly does and one that would rival anyone in the league.

He also has large hands which should mean consistently high velocity and the ability to hold on to the ball in damp conditions. Penix knows how to play in Seattle since he went to school at U-Dub. He wasn't perfect in the college football championship game but he was also under a lot of pressure and few quarterbacks operate well under pressure. Penix is also 24 so that is an issue, but he could be ready to play sooner rather than later.

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