John Schneider has done a fantastic job so far with the Seattle Seahawks' 2025 NFL draft. He even made a surprise pick with the team's last choice in the third round. Before that, Schneider hit home runs by taking offensive lineman Grey Zabel and safety Nick Emmanwori. Tight end Elijah Arroyo was a solid selection, too.
But no position moves the needle for fans more than a quarterback. The best bit about Schneider choosing Alabama's Jalen Milroe in the third round is that Seattle did not need a quarterback. There were already three veterans on the roster. But taking a quarterback when a team doesn't truly need one is the best philosophy.
Milroe is seemingly not yet ready to start. His touchdown-to-interception rate in SEC play (a real indication of how he might transition to the NFL, since that conference produces many elite players) was atrocious, 5-to-10.
Jalen Milroe and Russell Wilson could have similar stories with the Seahawks
He can run exceptionally well, of course, but he plays a position that forces him to be a passer first. If he cannot throw with accuracy on short and intermediate routes, his offense will be inefficient and ineffective. He does have the raw ability to be good, though. He has a strong arm and is an elite athlete.
The quarterback on Seattle's roster who should be most immediately nervous is Sam Howell. Howell's days with the Seahawks were likely numbered after Seattle signed Drew Lock in free agency. After Milroe was drafted, Howell knew he would be gone soon.
Ultimately, however, Sam Darnold might find that his time in Seattle will also be short. He was signed this offseason to a three-year deal that will pay him as much as $100.5 million, but the agreement is written more like a one-year deal for less than $40 million. Could Milroe sit for a season behind Darnold and Lock and then become the Seahawks' QB1 in 2026? Maybe.
Or possibly, 12s might see a repeat of 2012. That was the year Seattle chose Russell Wilson, also in the third round. Matt Flynn had been signed in free agency and was the presumed starter during the offseason. Wilson outplayed him in training camp, though, and the rest of Seahawks history. Wilson would become the best quarterback in franchise history.
Wilson was a more polished passer than Milroe, but he still did not throw a lot in his first couple of seasons. The offense relied upon Marshawn Lynch to excel. This is the same way Seattle's offense can rely on running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet to be effective.
There is no expectation currently that Milroe will be the Seahawks' starting quarterback in Week 1 of the 2025 season, but there was no expectation that Wilson would be the starter in Week 1 of 2012. Anything is possible, including a one-year stay in Seattle for Sam Darnold.