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or the second straight year, the Seattle Seahawks don’t possess a first-round draft pick thanks to the Jamal Adams trade from July 2020. That’s unless Seahawks general manager John Schneider finds a way to acquire a first-round selection through a trade.
That’s exactly what a new mock draft from CBS Sports predicts will happen. Josh Edwards of CBS Sports projects the Seahawks will trade quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos for a plethora of draft picks, including the No. 9 overall selection in the 2022 NFL draft.
Then with the No. 9 pick, Edwards has the Seahawks drafting Wilson’s successor, Pitt quarterback Kenny Pickett.
“Seattle begrudgingly trades Russell Wilson and wants to get him out of the NFC,” Edwards wrote. “In return, the Seahawks get a treasure trove of picks, including the No. 9 overall selection, which was used on Pickett. I do not have a first-round grade on the former Pitt Panther, but feel it is likely he will taken inside the first round.”
Despite “not having” a first-round grade on Pickett, Edwards has the Pitt signal caller as the first quarterback off the board in his new mock draft released on Feb. 25.
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Kenny Pickett Compared to Andy Dalton
Quarterback Andy Dalton has made 15 starts over the last two years, but the NFL has viewed him as a backup quarterback since he left the Cincinnati Bengals following a 2-11 record during the 2019 season.
However, in his player comparison for Kenny Pickett, NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein makes clear that he thinks Pickett is like Dalton was in his “prime years.”
“[Pickett is] a fairly toolsy pocket passer with good mobility. He operated in a passing scheme featuring vertical concepts that created big-play opportunities but left food on the plate when he failed to play chess against the back-end of the coverage,” Zierlein wrote. “Pickett works with average anticipation but drives the ball with good velocity, which should help him shine in pre-draft passing drills. Pickett’s touch and placement need work, but his accuracy stats were damaged by an inordinate amount of drops throughout his career.
“The top indicator for future success or failure will likely rest in a team’s ability to build Pickett’s trust, poise and discipline from the pocket. He can make all the throws, but he’ll only be able to execute against disguised fronts and NFL pressure if he’s willing to hang in and win with his eyes first.
“He carries a boom/bust label, but the 2021 tape and productivity showed off his potential to become a good starter in time.”
Dalton posted four 10-win seasons and made three Pro Bowls in nine seasons with the Bengals. He owns a 77-69-2 record as an NFL starter.
ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay sent Pickett to the Washington Commanders at No. 11 in his latest mock draft. The ESPN+ draft board doesn’t have Pickett in the top 11 overall players, but ESPN did give Pickett a first-round grade. ESPN’s big board has Pickett ranked the No. 19 overall player and the second-best quarterback a couple spots behind Liberty’s Malik Willis in the 2022 draft class.
Russell Wilson Says He Wants to Stay in Seattle
The speculation around Wilson has continued to run rampant during February — in mock drafts and other reports. It seems as though just about every team who needs a quarterback has been connected to a trade for Wilson.
But publicly, Wilson has remained steadfast in his desire to stay with the Seahawks.
“I’ve been fortunate to play 10 amazing years in Seattle, so my hope and goal is to be back there and keep winning there,” Wilson said while appearing on Mad Dog Sports Radio on Sirius XM on Feb. 13. “That’s the vision. That’s the goal. It’s never really been anything different.”
Those comments came about a week after Wilson told NFL Network’s Cameron Wolfe at Pro Bowl practice that he wants to be in Seattle.
“Hopefully I get to play in one place for a long, long time like those guys did,” Wilson said, referring to Tom Brady and Ben Roethlisberger.
Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported on Jan. 27 that the Seahawks “have no interest in trading” Wilson unless “absolutely forced to do so.”
But these facts haven’t stopped the trade rumors from circling, and they will likely continue swirling up until either the Seahawks trade Wilson or the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft on April 28.
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