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The Seattle Seahawks are heading into the 2022 season with either Drew Lock or Geno Smith as their Week 1 starter. However, if things go south this year, general manager John Schneider will likely look towards the 2023 NFL Draft to find the team’s quarterback of the future.
Joe Marino with The Draft Network gave his first 2023 NFL mock draft of the year. Marino had the Seahawks taking EDGE Myles Murphy out of Clemson with the third overall pick, skipping on a QB like Bryce Young or Will Levis. However, Marino had them take a quarterback with their second first-round pick, taking Anthony Richardson out of Florida.
“Seattle currently doesn’t have a long-term answer at quarterback on the roster and the 2023 NFL Draft could present a logical opportunity for the Seahawks to invest a top pick at the position,” Marino said. “Anthony Richardson has far from proven himself as a first-round quarterback but he has the size, arm talent, and mobility to get there.”
With arm talent and mobility, the Seahawks could find another quarterback capable of extending plays much like Russell Wilson did before being traded to the Denver Broncos.
Who is Anthony Richardson?
Although he’s still an unknown commodity, even for the most die-hard college football fans, the potential that Richardson brings makes him such an intriguing NFL draft prospect for a team like the Seahawks.
Listed at 6’4″ and 224 pounds coming out of Eastside High School in Gainesville, Florida, Richardson was a 4-star recruit a top-10 dual-threat QB in the class of 2020. His size and talent helped Richardson get offers from FBS programs including Georgia, Michigan, and Penn State, but he ultimately decided to stay in his hometown to play for the Florida Gators.
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After playing in just four games as a true freshman in 2020, Richardson qualified for a redshirt and was listed as a redshirt freshman in 2021. He only attempted 64 passes last season, but threw for 529 yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions. He was a significantly bigger threat with his legs, rushing for 401 yards and three touchdowns while averaging 7.9 yards per carry.
The All-SEC Freshman Team quarterback will have a bigger opportunity in 2022, assuming that he can earn the starting job. It’s not a guarantee that he’ll earn it, however, with Emory Jones returning and Ohio State transfer QB Jack Miller III joining the team.
If he can earn the starting job, however, then Richardson could blow scouts away with his natural talent and athleticism.
Who Will Be Seattle’s Starting QB in 2022?
The Seahawks could certainly make a move for a new quarterback next offseason, but right now it’s Smith and Lock who are competing to start under center in Week 1 against the Broncos.
Smith has been the early favorite to win the starting job, even starting the team’s preseason opener against Pittsburgh. Lock was given a chance to start the second game against the Chicago Bears. However, the QB competition took an unexpected turn when Lock tested positive for COVID-19 shortly after head coach Pete Carroll announced that he’d start against the Bears.
That shook up Seattle’s plans for how to give both quarterbacks an equal opportunity to prove themselves. Fortunately for Lock, he was able to quickly return to practice the following week and is expected to play a significant amount of snaps against the Dallas Cowboys in the team’s final preseason game.
There’s still some time for Lock to show what he’s made of, but after missing the team’s game against the Bears, he’s facing an uphill battle before Week 1 if he’s going to win the starting job.
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