The Seattle Seahawks are fresh off a Super Bowl championship and have a quarterback coming off the best season of his career.
Yet one of college football’s most recognizable names has made his way into the conversation surrounding Seattle’s 2027 NFL draft.
Texas quarterback Arch Manning was included among the quarterbacks Seattle fans should monitor in an early 2027 prospect watch list from Field Gulls on Sept. 12.
Field Gulls’ Alexandre Castro stressed that the exercise was neither a ranking nor a prediction of whom Seattle will draft, but the quarterback made the list because of the variables that could emerge over the coming months — and because the Seahawks currently project to own 11 selections in the 2027 draft.
That stockpile could give general manager John Schneider flexibility if a quarterback becomes too attractive to ignore.
Manning certainly has the profile that’s enticing to a organization looking for a backup with upside.
Manning Lands on Seahawks’ Early QB Watch List
Field Gulls identified Manning as one of the quarterbacks worth tracking while Seattle evaluates the long-term direction of its room.
The Seahawks have not much reason to force a change right now. Sam Darnold is coming off a championship season, and Jalen Milroe is a developmental option behind him.
But the publication pointed out several ways the scene can change. Drew Lock is scheduled to hit free agency after this season. Darnold’s performance and Milroe’s development will also help determine how aggressively Seattle evaluates the position.
Most intriguing is the draft capital.
Seattle’s projected 11 picks would provide the Seahawks with ammunition to climb the board if an elite quarterback landed within striking distance.
Manning is firmly in that discussion after another dramatic showing for Texas.
The senior helped the No. 4 Longhorns erase a 20-point fourth-quarter deficit in a 24-23 win over No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 12.
Manning finished with 196 passing yards, one touchdown and one interception, but found his rhythm late as Texas produced the largest fourth-quarter comeback ever against an AP No. 1 team, via Associated Press.
That came one week after Manning completed 20 of 27 passes for 305 yards and four touchdowns in a 59-7 victory over Texas State.
Seahawks Have Time to Let QB Picture Develop
Manning’s pedigree guarantees attention, although his evaluation is far from defined.
Field Gulls highlighted his physical talent while pointing to processing and occasional hesitation as areas to monitor. Those questions have surfaced elsewhere in the draft conversation thus far.
A high-ranking NFL front-office staffer described Manning to CBS Sports as an eventual first-round prospect whose 2025 tape showed room for growth in areas such as processing, touch and consistency.
His trajectory since then makes him particularly relevant.
Manning ended last season playing his best football, opened 2026 with a four-touchdown performance and followed it by engineering the comeback against the nation’s No. 1 team.
Seattle, meanwhile, is in the enviable position of being able to watch from a distance.
Assuming Darnold continues playing at a championship level and Milroe takes another step, quarterback may stay well down Schneider’s list of needs.
But if circumstances ebb and flow in a certain route, the Seahawks have a deep collection of picks and an entire college season to evaluate a potentially loaded quarterback class.
Currently, Manning is a big name potentially on Seattle’s radar, but by April, he could mean even more to the NFC West juggernaut.
Seahawks Put on Arch Manning Watch Amid Massive 2027 NFL Draft Haul