Seattle Seahawks 3-round mock draft after first wave of free agency

Round 2 brings the Seahawks a quarterback

After trading back to regain our lost 2nd round pick, Seattle is going to get aggressive again and move up in the draft to get their quarterback of the future. Sure, the team traded for Sam Howell this week, but Howell could be released with little detriment to the cap. Plus, Howell and Geno Smith are long-term options at QB in Seattle.

Round 2 pick 42, Seahawks select- Michael Penix Jr, QB Washington
Trade - Seahawks trade picks 57 and 2025 3rd to Minnesota for pick 42

This is a nice choice that should be loved in the Pacific Northwest, and feels like the right time, and player to take a shot on.

This is one of the deepest FA and quarterback groups in recent memory. We saw guys like Russell Wilson and Kirk Cousins switch teams, while five or six QB prospects could be drafted in the first 50 picks. It leaves open the door for someone in the draft to potentially slide, and that could very well be Michael Penix Jr. 

Still sitting there at pick 42, I was stoked to select Michael Penix Jr. At 6-2 and 216 lbs, Penix has been arguably the 2nd best quarterback in college football the past two seasons. Finishing 8th in the Heisman in 2022, and the runner-up this year, Penix had awakened the sleeping giant that is Washington Huskies football.

The lefty gunslinger with an unusual throwing motion, there are mixes of Tua Tagovailoa and Philip Rivers to his game. In the past two seasons, Penix has done two things; win and throw absolute darts. 

In his two years on Montlake, Penix has led the Huskies to a 24-2 record, an Alamo Bowl victory, a Pac-12 Championship, and the number 2 seed in the CFP. During that time, Penix has completed over 65 percent of his passes for nearly 9,000 yards and a 64/17 TD-to-INT ratio. What's more impressive is the difficulty of the throws he makes and his 9.2 average yards per attempt. His mobility is not what it once was, but he can manipulate the pocket and get first downs, and when given time, he's throwing for first downs and touchdowns.

If not for his injury history and funky motion, Penix could easily be the top pick in next year's draft. His “warts” to some should be used as an opportunity for the Seahawks to win the draft, and find a perfect replacement for when the time is right to move on from Geno Smith.