It remains to be seen who will be the Seattle Seahawks starting quarterback when the 2022 NFL season begins. NFL Network’s league insider Peter Schrager predicts the Seahawks will trade back into the first round to land former Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral.
Schrager has the Seahawks snagging the No. 30 pick from the Chiefs to potentially land their quarterback of the future. The Seahawks have the No. 40 and 41 picks in the second round to use as potential trade bait to snag an additional day-one selection.
“The Seahawks likely won’t go QB at No. 9, but I can see them sneaking back into the end of the first round to secure a QB and the coveted fifth-year option,” Schrager wrote on April 7, 2022. “Corral is a Long Beach Poly (California) kid who played for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. Think Pete Carroll knows a thing or two about those programs? I can see Corral suiting up for Seattle.”
Corral is the third quarterback selected in Schrager’s projections behind Kenny Pickett and Malik Willis. The trade allows the Seahawks to address another position of need at No. 9 instead of selecting a quarterback. Schrager’s mock projects the Seahawks selecting Mississippi State offensive lineman Charles Cross at No. 9 to help protect whatever quarterback is behind center in 2022.
“The Seahawks are in rebuild mode. With the pick they landed from Denver in the Russell Wilson deal, I see them scooping up the talented Cross, who wasn’t asked to do much run protection in his time under Mike Leach but dominated in pass protection against some of the SEC’s best,” Schrager noted. “Cross had a great combine week and can protect whomever the QB ends up being.”
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A Photo of Carroll & Corral From the NFL Combine Went Viral
Corral would give the Seahawks a dual-threat quarterback to begin the post-Russell Wilson era. Corral threw for 3,349 yards, 20 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 67.9% of his passes. The playmaking quarterback also rushed for 614 yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground.
Corral sustained an ankle injury early during Ole Miss’ loss to Baylor in the Cotton Bowl. Under Schrager’s scenario, the Seahawks may be getting a bit of a discount on Corral given the injury along with the buzz that some of the other quarterback prospects have generated during the pre-draft process.
A photo from the NFL Combine went viral featuring Corral talking with Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin was an assistant under Carroll at USC, so the Seahawks would likely be able to secure top intel on Corral heading into the draft.
The Seahawks Met With Ridder Ahead of the NFL Draft
Corral is not the only quarterback that has been linked to the Seahawks leading up to the draft. Seattle met with rising prospect Desmond Rider as one of their 30 pre-draft visits. According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Ridder is the only quarterback that the Seahawks have met with prior to the draft.
“Cincinnati QB Desmond Ridder is visiting the Seahawks today, per source,” Pelissero tweeted on April 13. “The first (and only?) known pre-draft quarterback visit for Seattle.”
If the Seahawks are targeting Ridder, the team may have to select the quarterback at No. 9. ESPN draft analyst Matt Miller noted that there is “legitimate buzz” about Ridder being drafted inside the top-15 picks.
“I mentioned Desmond Ridder earlier, and there is legitimate buzz about him going in the top 15,” Miller explained on April 8. “He has wowed decision-makers with his interviews dating back to the Senior Bowl, and he put on a show with his 4.52-second 40 at the combine. Ridder, a four-year starter, is seen as NFL-ready by some, while others view him as needing more reps against NFL-level defenses after playing in a Group of 5 school in college.
“There is a lot of love for Ridder around the league thanks to his experience, leadership, physical ability and confidence, so a team turning his card in early wouldn’t be a huge surprise. Keep an eye on the Saints and Steelers as options for him.”
Insider’s Proposed Trade Sends Seahawks a Dynamic Quarterback