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The Seattle Seahawks passed on every quarterback taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, and according to head coach Pete Carroll, there’s a good reason for that.
Appearing on Sports Radio KJR in Seattle on Thursday, Carroll was asked a handful of questions about the quarterback position and the team’s draft picks. Carroll had some very positive things to say about one of the team’s newest quarterbacks, former Denver Broncos QB Drew Lock.
“I think he’d have been the first guy picked, of quarterbacks anyway,” Carroll told KJR Seattle according to Pro Football Talk’s Michael David Smith. “He’d have been the first guy in this draft. I don’t have any hesitation saying that.”
That’s high praise from Carroll, even if this year’s class of rookie quarterbacks doesn’t seem to be the strongest. Former Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Kenny Pickett was the first quarterback off of the board, but wasn’t selected until the 20th overall pick. The next quarterback wasn’t taken until 74th overall, with the Atlanta Falcons drafting Desmond Ridder out of Cincinnati.
Drew Lock’s Rocky Start to His NFL Career
Lock was part of the trade that sent superstar quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos, along with his Denver teammates Noah Fant and Shelby Harris. It’s a fresh start for Lock, who has had a tough time getting his NFL career off of the ground.
The 25-year-old quarterback was taken by Denver with the 42nd overall pick in the 2019 NFL Draft after showing some real talent under center with the Missouri Tigers. He showed real flashes in five games as a rookie, leading the Broncos to a 4-1 record while completing 64.1 percent of his passes with seven touchdowns and three interceptions.
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However, things went downhill after a promising rookie campaign. Lock led the NFL with 15 interceptions despite only playing in 13 games in 2020, then was benched in 2021 behind Teddy Bridgewater, only replacing the veteran under center in spurts due to injury.
The pressure will be on Lock to make some noise in 2022. He’s on the final year of his rookie deal, and if he can show some signs of improvement with Seattle, then he will at least be able to secure a respectable second NFL contract as a backup somewhere around the league, and at best secure a long-term starting job with the Seahawks.
Lock Not Guaranteed the Starting Job in Seattle
Lock’s first goal with the Seahawks will be to crack the starting lineup to show what he can do, but he will have some competition heading into training camp with veteran QB Geno Smith already on the roster.
Smith did an admirable job starting for the injured Wilson in 2021. Appearing in four games, the Seahawks quarterback completed over 68 percent of his passes, throwing just a single interception with a strong passer rating of 103.0.
At the moment, Smith is the likely favorite to be Seattle’s starter in Week 1. He’s earned the support of many Seahawks fans, including former Legion of Boom star Richard Sherman.
There’s still plenty of time for Lock to impress the Seahawks coaching staff, however, with training camp and the preseason still a few months away.
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