Getty The Seahawks have multiple quarterback options beyond Geno Smith.
The Seattle Seahawks are having some fun ahead of the upcoming NFL draft possessing a top-5 pick for the first time during the Pete Carroll-John Schneider era. Not only did the Seahawks send a strong contingent to the Ohio State pro day on March 22, but the team tweeted out a photo that star quarterback C.J. Stroud took while meeting with Seattle staff members.
Stroud appeared to be meeting with seven members of the Seahawks including general manager John Schneider, head coach Pete Carroll, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and quarterbacks coach Greg Olson. Here is a look at the Seahawks’ social media post that has fans buzzing.
Meeting of the minds.
Seattle currently holds the No. 5 pick and will likely need to trade up to have a chance at landing Stroud. There is a growing buzz that the Panthers are targeting Stroud after trading up to snag the top selection from the Bears. The Texans (No. 2) and Colts (No. 4) are also quarterback-needy teams who are expected to select one of the top signal-callers.
This is not the first time Stroud has been linked to the Seahawks. One of Stroud’s tweets from 2015 recently went viral where the quarterback labeled Seattle as his favorite NFL team.
Could the Seahawks Trade Up to Land a Quarterback?
The Seahawks have been open about considering a quarterback at No. 5, but there is a chance that the top four QB prospects will all be off the board when Seattle is on the clock. The Cardinals hold the No. 3 pick and are in play to potentially trade down with a team looking to move up to select a quarterback. Sports Illustrated’s Albert Breer noted that the Seahawks should not be ruled out as a potential candidate to trade up to No. 3 for a quarterback but added that it is an unlikely scenario.
“As for which teams should be on Arizona’s radar for a trade, you really can’t rule out the Seahawks or Lions coming up for one, though that seems unlikely,” Breer wrote on March 22. “After that, the Raiders already tried to trade up once (with the Bears). They’d be coming from No. 7. And you’ve got the Falcons (8), Titans (11) and Commanders (16), though I’d say, at least with Atlanta and Washington, you’ve got teams executing plans to be more economical at the position.”
While the scenario is extremely unlikely, there is a world where Carolina falls in love with either Anthony Richardson or Will Levis. If the Cardinals stay put at No. 3, one of the top quarterbacks would still be on the board at No. 5 giving Seattle more of an opportunity to trade up or down.
C.J. Stroud Is Being Labeled as the Best Pure Passer in the Draft
Stroud threw for 3,688 yards, 41 touchdowns and six interceptions while completing 66.3% of his passes during 13 appearances in 2022. ESPN’s Todd McShay labels Stroud as the best “pure pocket passer” in the draft and noted that the quarterback lived up to these expectations at his pro day.
“I’ve called Stroud the most pure pocket passer in the 2023 draft class, and we saw why on Wednesday,” McShay detailed on March 23. “Yes, it was a scripted pro day with no defensive backs jumping routes or pass-rushers barring down on him, but Stroud was about as close to perfect as he could have been during his throwing session. It was almost like he was walking the ball directly into his receivers’ hands at times. We saw excellent ball placement over and over.”
Seattle re-signed both Geno Smith and Drew Lock this offseason, but the franchise cannot be ruled out as a landing spot for a quarterback. Smith inked a three-year, $75 million contract, but the Seahawks have an out in his deal after just one season giving the team ultimate flexibility at the position.