Seahawks might do Devon Witherspoon a favor by taking this QB in 2024 NFL draft

The 2024 NFL begins on Thursday, April 25. That will be when the first round is held. The second and third rounds will be held on Friday, April 26. Rounds four through seven will take place on Saturday, April 27. The Seattle Seahawks currently have seven picks with one of them being at number 16 in the first round and then not another until the third round.

Seattle also doesn't need to take a quarterback in the first round. That does not mean they won't take a QB, especially as general manager John Schneider has said he isn't proud of the fact that Seattle has only chosen two quarterbacks in the draft since 2010. One of those, however, was Russell Wilson so the team can be forgiven for not needing to take too many quarterbacks.

Seattle might also want to think long-term and know that assumed 2024 QB1 Geno Smith can be released next offseason and save the team $25 million in cap room. The hope is that Smith plays so well in 2024 that the Seahawks have no reason to entertain releasing him, but nothing is guaranteed. Plus, Sam Howell was acquired this offseason and is a cheap option through 2025, even if he replaces Smith as QB1 in 2025.

Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon is clearly a fan of quarterback Michael Penix, Jr.

Devon Witherspoon has thoughts on the quarterback subject as well. He was Seattle's first pick in 2023 and went fifth overall. In his rookie season, he made the Pro Bowl. He appears likely to be a fixture in Seattle for many years to come and should become a leader in the locker room as well. What he says matters.

The cornerback was asked in the days leading up to the 2024 draft by Tom Pelissero and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com what he thought of different quarterbacks entering the draft. Witherspoon played against Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, for instance, in college when Witherspoon was at Illinois. The corner would know what it is like to try to defend against McCarthy.

Witherspoon, though, raved about one quarterback in particular. The corner is obviously a big fan of University of Washington quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. Witherspoon said that he is "very high" on Penix because he saw Penix at Indiana before the quarterback transferred to Washington. The CB said Penix can make every throw and has pocket presence; the QB didn't just need to play in one certain system to be good.

Of course, Witherspoon's words will likely have no impact on how Geno Smith feels about the corner, though a quarterback with a more fragile psyche might take umbrage with what Witherspoon said since the corner was raving about a player who would take a current player's spot.

Penix would have one of the easier transitions to the NFL of any quarterback, though. His offensive coordinator the last couple of seasons at Washington was Ryan Grubb and Grubb is now the new OC for the Seahawks. If John Schneider wants to take a quarterback at pick 16 and Penix is available, at least the choice makes sense. Still, Seattle does not need a quarterback first.

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