Seahawks Projected to Land Elite Young Quarterback

Getty Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll has a new defensive lineman to work with.

The Seattle Seahawks head into the 2022 season without a clear answer at who will be the long-term replacement for superstar quarterback Russell Wilson. That future franchise quarterback might not be on the roster right now, but general manager John Schneider could find a successor in the near future.

Luke Easterling with Draft Wire gave his update 2023 NFL mock draft heading into the preseason, with Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud going first overall to the Houston Texans. The Seahawks were still able to land an elite QB of their own, however, taking Alabama’s Bryce Young with the third overall pick.

“The Seahawks don’t have a starting-caliber quarterback on their roster after trading away Russell Wilson, and finding one will be their top priority next offseason,” Easterling said. “Young might be undersized, but he’s still got all the mental and physical traits to be a franchise passer.”

The two-round mock draft also featured the Seahawks taking Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith, South Carolina cornerback Cam Smith, and Penn State wide receiver Parker Washington.


Bryce Young’s Blue-Chip Football Career

Young is projected to be one of the first quarterbacks taken in the 2023 NFL Draft, but that shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone who has followed his football career. The current Crimson Tide quarterback has been one of the top quarterback prospects in the country for years.

Coming out of Mater Del High School in Santa Ana, California, Young was a 5-star recruit and the No. 2 player nationally in the class of 2020. Only Clemson’s Bryan Bresee was ranked higher than Young, and while he had college options including USC, Georgia, and Ohio State, he ultimately decided to play for Nick Saban in Tuscaloosa.

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After sitting his freshman season behind first-round pick Mac Jones, Young burst onto the scene as a sophomore in 2021. He finished the season completing 67 percent of his passes for 4,872 yards, 47 touchdowns, and seven interceptions while adding another three scores on the ground.

The accolades piled up for Young last year. Not only was he the Heisman Trophy winner and a consensus All-American, he also won the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award, and AP College Football Player of the Year.

As a pro prospect, Young has the mental processing and arm talent to be an elite quarterback. The biggest weakness for the Alabama star is his size, currently listed at just 6’0″ and 194 pounds. If he can continue to add weight to his frame without sacrificing any of his passing ability, then Young will have a very good chance at being the first quarterback taken in next year’s draft.


Who Will Start at QB for Seattle in 2022?

The Seahawks would love to have a quarterback like Young in 2023 and beyond, but for this season at least, it looks like either Geno Smith or Drew Lock will be starting Week 1.

Smith is currently the early favorite to win the starting job, according to head coach Pete Carroll, who told reporters that he was currently winning the battle at the start of training camp. The 31-year-old quarterback has been with the team since 2019, serving as Wilson’s backup. When asked to step in for an injured Wilson last season, Smith posted a 103.0 passer rating over four games, helping keep the offense moving down the field.

Lock is facing an uphill battle to win the starting job, but there’s no questioning his arm talent. As a junior at Missouri, Lock led the nation with 44 passing touchdowns. He’s struggled with consistency at the NFL level, but a change of scenery after being traded by the Denver Broncos could help him revive his pro career.

Unless something drastic happens, neither quarterback is expected to be the long-term option, but Smith or Lock could silence the critics with an impressive 2022 season.

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