The Seattle Seahawks nearly landed a new quarterback in the NFL draft but instead opted to sit out the position entirely. Seattle did sign two undrafted quarterbacks in Kaleb Eleby and Levi Lewis, and it will be interesting to see if either rookie is able to stick on the final roster.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Seahawks considered selecting former North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell on day two or three as the prospect “had a lot of support in Seattle’s building.” Instead, the Seahawks appear to be poised to revisit the position in the 2023 draft with what is expected to be a deeper quarterback class.
“Sam Howell had a lot of support in Seattle’s building as a developmental quarterback to take on Day 2 or 3,” Fowler explained on May 9, 2022. “But even as Howell slipped to the fifth round, the Seahawks stayed away from QB, addressing several other needs instead. Why? Coming off last year’s draft that included just three picks due to multiple trades, Seattle wanted to reestablish roster strength with its nine selections this year. And since a middle- to late-round QB would probably be the backup to Geno Smith or Drew Lock, why not maximize the talent elsewhere and hit it big on a 2023 quarterback, when the draft offers stronger options. Some other teams (Detroit comes to mind) were likely thinking the same thing.”
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The Seahawks Felt Willis Was ‘Nowhere Near NFL-Ready’: Report
Liberty standout Malik Willis was a quarterback who some analysts projected the Seahawks to take as high as No. 9. Instead, Seattle passed on Willis in each of the first three rounds, including two times in the second round. ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported that the Seahawks viewed Willis as “nowhere near NFL-ready.”
“Malik Willis was a popular mock pick for Seattle at No. 9 overall,” Henderson noted on May 5. “The Seahawks passed on Willis four times before he was taken 86th overall — feeling he was nowhere near NFL-ready, according to one source — and didn’t think enough of the other quarterbacks to take one with any of their nine selections.”
Seattle Did Not View Any of the Rookie QBs as a Major Upgrade
This context sheds more light on Seahawks general manager John Schneider’s comment about initially passing on quarterbacks in the first round, a trend that continued throughout the draft. Seattle also did not appear sold enough on the idea that Howell represented a major upgrade from Drew Lock or Geno Smith.
“I personally feel that for these young guys that are competitors, they’re young men, sometimes the pressure that’s placed on them, right?” Schneider said during an April 28 press conference. “They’re supposed to be first-round draft choices. Sometimes it just doesn’t happen.
“There’s several good quarterbacks in this draft. And there’s millions of mock drafts and that’s cool. It’s entertainment, we all get it. But you end up kind of feeling bad for these guys, right? There’s just so much pressure on them and there’s a bunch of them that’ll get picked- several tomorrow, for sure. But the pressure of the first round is always stronger, especially for quarterbacks.”
Howell Was Selected by Washington in the 5th Round
The Washington Commanders select QB Sam Howell 💪
Howell was once projected to be one of the top quarterbacks selected in 2022 but fell to the fifth round as the prospect was finally selected by the Commanders. The former Tar Heels quarterback threw for 3,056 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 62.5% of his passes in 2021. Howell also added 828 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns on the ground. NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein compared Howell to longtime backup quarterback Chase Daniel.
“Stocky, three-year starter who plays with admirable confidence despite inconsistencies in important areas as a passer,” Zierlein detailed. “Howell attacks the field working from deep to short when he’s allowed. He’s not a classic full-field reader at this point but has pocket poise and mobility to potentially develop in that area in the future. He muscles throws, hindering his accuracy on drive throws but has adequate arm strength and can expedite off-platform throws. Howell doesn’t throw with nearly enough timing or ball placement, which forces wideouts into the boundaries or to break stride, limiting their YAC potential. He flashed impressive dual-threat talent in 2021, which should work in his favor.”
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Seahawks Nearly Landed New Dual-Threat Quarterback: Report