T
he Seattle Seahawks entered the quarterback market as soon as the organization traded Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos on March 8.
But some NFL Draft experts don’t expect the Seahawks to remain in the quarterback market for very long. That includes Kevin Hanson of Sports Illustrated, who has the Seahawks selecting Liberty quarterback Malik Willis with the No. 9 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft.
The Seahawks acquired the ninth selection, along with a plethora of other picks and players, from the Broncos in the Wilson trade.
“Perhaps Seattle won’t use this pick on a quarterback, but Drew Lock isn’t the long-term (or short-term) answer,” Hanson wrote. “Willis won’t be ready to start Week 1, but no quarterback prospect in this draft class has as much long-term upside as he does. If he lives up to his potential, his dynamism as a runner and ability to stretch the field vertically will give opposing defensive coordinators nightmares.”
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The Upside of Malik Willis
There is no consensus top choice at quarterback in the 2022 draft class. But some experts feel the same about Willis — he’s not the most pro-ready signal caller in this year’s draft, but he has the highest potential.
NFL analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL.com compared Willis’ playing style to Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts, but Zierlein also wrote that Willis has arm strength similar to Jay Cutler.
“Upside quarterback with special parts of his game, but with no guarantee they will be assembled properly into a finished product,” Zierlein wrote. “Willis uses his rare combination of elite rushing talent and a rocket-launching right arm to unlock explosive plays in two different ways. He has the arm to beat safeties to the deepest parts of the field and makes impressive throws from inside and outside the pocket.
“On the flip side, Willis’ mechanical and operational inconsistencies lead to erratic timing and accuracy, and he doesn’t throw with enough touch.”
Willis is ranked everywhere from the No. 20 to 91st-best player in the 2022 class. The ESPN big board considers him a mid-first-round choice (20th) while the Bleacher Report scouting department has him ranked as a late-third-round selection (91st).
ESPN and Pro Football Focus each have Willis ranked as either the first or second-best quarterback in the draft class.
Willis started his college career at Auburn and then transferred to Liberty. He recorded 5,107 passing yards, 1,822 rushing yards, 74 total touchdowns and 18 interceptions in 23 starts at Liberty.
At Auburn and Liberty, Willis averaged 8.4 yards per pass and 5.8 yards per rush.
Seattle’s Other Roster Needs
Quarterback is a glaring hole with Drew Lock currently on top of the signal caller depth chart in Seattle, but it’s hardly the only position the Seahawks could address at No. 9 overall.
Offensive line has been an issue for years in Seattle. In 2021, PFF ranked the Seahawks 25th in pass blocking. The unit was also just about average at No. 17 in run blocking according to PFF.
Seattle’s best pass blocker, left tackle Duane Brown, is entering free agency.
On defense, the Seahawks were 22nd in sacks with 34 last season. They were also 18th in hurry percentage (10.4%), 24th in net yards allowed per pass attempt (6.5), 26th in pressure percentage (22.1%) and 29th in sack percentage (4.9%).
Furthermore, the Seahawks were second-to-last in passing yards allowed per game in 2021. The pass defense will likely only be worse without two-time Pro Bowl safety Quandre Diggs, who the Seahawks declined to place the franchise tag on March 8.
Even though quarterback is the most important position in the league, it would not be shocking to see the Seahawks select the best available player at No. 9. The organization needs upgrades in so many different areas of the roster.
But that still won’t stop draft experts from slotting quarterbacks like Willis to the Seahawks at No. 9 in mock drafts.
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