Getty The Seattle Seahawks could have a new but polarizing quarterback in 2023.
The Seattle Seahawks may finally have their starting quarterback situation figured out, but general manager John Schneider and his staff will continue to work on finding an upgrade at the most important position in football.
After being named the Week 1 starter, Geno Smith had a terrific game in the season opener against his former teammate Russell Wilson and the Denver Broncos. Smith completed 23 of his 28 passes for 195 yards and two touchdowns for an exceptional 119.5 passer rating in the 17-16 win.
Perhaps more memorable than anything from the Week 1 upset win was Smith’s epic quote after the game.
Smith’s performance was impressive, but at 31 years old, it’s unlikely that he can be the franchise quarterback for the foreseeable future. Joe Broback with Pro Football Network had a long-term solution for Seattle in his latest 2023 NFL mock draft, mocking Kentucky quarterback Will Levis to the Seahawks with the fifth overall pick. That being said, not everyone is as high on Levis as Broback.
“One of the most polarizing picks in next year’s draft is trying to prove that he’s worth a top-10 pick, but he’ll need to do better going forward, Broback said. “Interceptions were a concern coming into this year, and he’s already thrown one in each game this season. If he can cut down on those, the talent will speak for itself.”
Who is Kentucky QB Will Levis?
Although he’s known mostly on the internet for eating bananas with the peel, or drinking coffee with mayo, Will Levis is actually one of the most intriguing quarterback prospects on the field as well.
Coming out of Xavier High School in Connecticut, Levis was only a 3-star recruit but the second-ranked player in the state for the class of 2018. Despite offers from schools like Florida State, Iowa, and Ole Miss, Levis committed to play for the Penn State Nittany Lions.
After redshirting his first year at Penn State, Levis was a situational backup QB over his next two seasons. He only attempted 102 passes over that span, but had a bigger impact with his legs, rushing for 473 yards and six touchdowns over that span.
With Sean Clifford continuing to play ahead of Levis, the quarterback decided to transfer to Kentucky, where he became a team captain before ever seeing the field for a real game. He helped lead the Wildcats to a 10-3 record in his first season, throwing for 2,826 yards, 24 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
Levis has already thrown for 505 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions in Kentucky’s first two games in 2022, with the Wildcats going 2-0 with wins over Miami (Ohio) and Florida.
At 6’3″ and 232 pounds he has great size and good arm talent that makes him an interesting QB prospect. He’ll need to work on cutting down the turnovers, but Levis has legitimate NFL potential.
What Will Happen to Drew Lock?
With Smith impressing in the season opener and the Seahawks front office likely doing plenty of homework on the 2023 class of quarterbacks, Drew Lock might already be on the outside looking in.
Lock came to Seattle in the trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver, with the young QB hoping for a fresh start. After an impressive college career with the Missouri Tigers, Lock was taken in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft by the Broncos with the hope that he could be the team’s long-term starter.
Unfortunately, Lock has had a hard time taking care of the football, and was ultimately benched last season in favor of the veteran Teddy Bridgewater. Lock was traded to Seattle this offseason hoping to compete for the starting job, but missed his chance at starting a preseason game against Chicago after testing positive for COVID-19.
Lock just can’t seem to catch a break, and if Smith continues to play at a high level, there’s a real chance that he won’t ever get the opportunity to start under center in Seattle.