Following many months of speculation, theSeattle Seahawks have ultimately parted ways with longtime quarterback Russell Wilson by trading him to the Denver Broncos. Consequently, they were expected to join the list of teamsin the search ofa quarterback.
This offseason, there were plenty of changes at the position for many NFL franchises. The Seahawks, however, didn’t pursue any signal-caller on the market and passed up on every quarterbackin the draft.
Instead, it looks like they will head into the 2022 season with either Drew Lock – who they got in return for Wilson – or Geno Smith under center. But why did they not use any of their picks in a QB, when they even had the 9th overall? Let’s take a look.
Why didn’t the Seahawkspick Malik Willis or any other QBin 2022 NFL Draft?
The Seahawks’ decision to overlook Malik Willis in the first round took many by surprise. The Liberty product wouldn’t be selected right away, though, as he had to wait until the 86th selection to be picked by the Titans.
GM John Schneider would later say that it’s very hard for rookies to immediately take the reins of a team. And according to Brady Henderson of ESPN, a source told him the Seahawksfelt that Willis was “nowhere near NFL-ready.”
On top of that, Pete Carroll has recently suggestedthat he prefers Drew Lock over any quarterback of this year’s class. Talking to Sports Radio KJR, the Seahawks head coach even claimed that Lock would have been the first QB selected in the 2022 draft.
“I think he’d have been the first guy picked, of quarterbacks anyway. He’d have been the first guy in this draft. I don’t have any hesitation saying that,” Carroll said, as quoted byPro Football Talk.
“The first look at Drew, he’s really athletic, he’s really a confident athlete, you can see he’s got a lot of body control, he’s got quick feet, he’s got a quick arm, he’s got various ways he can release the football as his body’s in different positions. He’s got a real knack there. He’s got a strong arm, he can throw the ball a mile down the field. He compares to Geno, and Geno Smith has a great arm. He has a world-class arm, and all that. To match up with that, that’s saying a lot.”
This not only explains how unimpressed Carroll waswiththe 2022 quarterback class, but also how highly he thinks of his current quarterbacks. Carroll recently dismissed the possibility of trading for a quarterback this year, practically ruling out any potential move for someone like Baker Mayfield. It remains to be seen, however, whether Lock ends up winningthe job or Smith does.