Getty Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll could be getting a long-term answer at quarterback.
The Seattle Seahawks may have figured out their quarterback position for the 2022 season thanks to a record-breaking start from Geno Smith. However, if the Seahawks plan to become a playoff contender once again, then they’re going to need a long-term answer under center.
In their latest 2023 NFL mock draft, Ian Cummings with Pro Football Network gave picks for what the first round could look like if quarterbacks Anthony Richardson and Tyler Van Dyke were to return to Florida and Miami respectively. Quarterbacks still went early, however, with the Houston Texans taking C.J. Stroud with the No. 1 overall pick just before the Seahawks snagged Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young.
“Luckily, the Seahawks may be in position to add that long-term answer in the 2023 NFL Draft,” Cummings said. “Bryce Young may fall on some boards due to his size…Even so, however, he hasn’t suffered an injury in college, and he consistently fights through adversity to bring his Crimson Tide to victory. With elite athleticism, improvisational ability, and poise under pressure, Young is a true creator, at a position where creation is everything.”
Cummings also had the Seahawks taking Baylor defensive tackle Siaki Ika with the 22nd overall pick, which they acquired in the trade that sent Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos.
Bryce Young Has the Pedigree to Be an NFL Star
Even if he has yet to play a single snap at the NFL level, Young has been projected to be a future star at the pro level from a very early age.
Coming out of Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, Young was a 5-star recruit and the top-ranked player in the nation for the class of 2020. Virtually every FBS program wanted to land Young, with offers ranging across the country from Penn State to Ohio State to USC.
However, Young decided to contend for national championships with Nick Saban and the Alabama Crimson Tide. After spending a year behind Mac Jones, Young took over as the starting quarterback in 2021, making an immediate impact and winning the Heisman Trophy after throwing for over 4,800 yards, 47 touchdowns, and just seven interceptions.
Young is off to another hot start in 2022. The Crimson Tide are still undefeated at 5-0, while Young is completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 1,202 yards, 14 touchdowns, and three interceptions.
With excellent arm talent and mental processing to read the field, Young has the poise and football IQ to make him an outstanding playmaker at the next level. Scouts will talk about his lack of size at 6’0″ and 194 pounds, but that small frame hasn’t cost Young at the college level yet.
Who is Siaki Ika?
Cummings gave the Seahawks a new quarterback in his latest mock draft, but he also sent a dominant nose tackle to Seattle to give the franchise a much-needed boost on defense.
A transfer from LSU prior to the 2021 season, Ika has been a force to be reckoned with at Baylor. He burst onto the scene as a sophomore last year, winning the Big 12 Newcomer of the Year with a All-Big 12 second-team selection.
At 6’4″ and 358 pounds, Ika is a massive presence in the middle of Baylor’s defense, but he also has surprising movement skills to help him get into gaps and create penetration. The Seahawks have some talent on their defensive line, but a massive presence like Ika in the middle of the defense could open things up for the rest of the team.