Getty The Seahawks could draft Jayden Daniels as Geno Smith's successor.
The Seattle Seahawks could soon be looking for their next franchise quarterback.
In a 2024 NFL Mock Draft compiled by The 33rd Team’s Connor Livesay, he expects the Seahawks to select LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels in the first round. Livesay predicts Daniels to be the fifth quarterback selected at No. 26.
Livesay argues that while Geno Smith’s story has been a nice one, he doesn’t believe anyone in Seattle’s front office believes he’s the “long-term answer.”
“The Seattle Seahawks have an interesting decision to make when it comes to the quarterback position,” writes Livesay. “While the Geno Smith story has been a tremendous one to follow, I’m not sure anyone in the Seattle front office thinks he’s the long-term answer. Jayden Daniels is having a Heisman-winning-caliber season and would be an excellent pairing in Seattle with DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Kenneth Walker and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.”
Why Geno Smith May Not Be Long-Term Answer for Seahawks
Smith is 33 years old and under contract with Seattle through the 2025 season. Smith is owed $22.5 million for the 2024 season before earning $25 million during the 2025 season. There is a possible out in Smith’s contract for 2024 which would result in a $17.4 million dead cap hit. For the 2025 season, releasing or trading Smith would result in a dead cap hit of $8.7 million.
The idea of the Seahawks moving on from Smith during this upcoming offseason is unlikely considering Seattle is 6-3 and in prime position to clinch their second consecutive postseason berth with him. However, Smith has been far from impressive this season,
The veteran quarterback is middle-of-the-pack for most major statistics, ranking 15th in passing yards, 16th in touchdowns and 19th in passer rating. Furthermore, his seven interceptions are tied for eighth-most in the NFL and his touchdown-to-interception ratio (11 touchdowns against seven interceptions) ranks 23rd.
According to Pro Football Focus, Smith has posted a 75.3 offensive grade this season, ranking 16th among all starting quarterbacks.
Why Seahawks Could Draft QB Jayden Daniels
In other words, it may be time for Seattle to start looking towards the future considering it appears Smith has hit a ceiling. The lackluster production is even more concerning considering the Seahawks have one of the most talented offensive supporting casts in DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Kenneth Walker.
Adding one of the most dynamic quarterback prospects of this upcoming draft could be Seattle’s answer for the long-term future.
As Luke Easterling of Sports Illustrated writes in his own 2024 NFL Mock Draft, Daniels’ ability “screams potential superstar.”
“There are multiple options worthy of consideration here, but Daniels has been the most electric player in college football this year, and his development screams potential superstar at the next level,” writes Easterling.
The 22-year-old quarterback’s stock has risen in mock draft boards as of late, with Easterling projecting him to be drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at No. 11. By comparison, it was only as recently as a month ago that Kyle Crabbs of Athlon Sports projected Daniels to be a Day 3 pick.
“Daniels could ultimately be regarded as too rough around the edges for his age and number of starts to warrant high consideration in the draft,” writes Easterling. “He’s a bit of a wild stallion at times, living and dying by the creative flair he brings to the position. His best-case scenario is for a team to become enamored with his traits and leadership style in the same way that the Browns were with Dorian Thompson-Robinson in last year’s class.”
The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder is one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the country, posting 30 touchdowns against four interceptions to go along with 918 rushing yards on 8.1 yards per attempt and eight touchdowns. Daniels literally leads the country in passing touchdowns and ranks second in yards per attempt.
Considering Seattle will miss out on the first tier of quarterbacks — Caleb Williams, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy — they could plausibly land Daniels towards the end of the first round.
While he may be a bit raw and slight in frame, the athleticism and production could very well lead to Daniels emerging as the biggest playmaking quarterback of this draft.