The Seattle Seahawks had a dream year in 2022 as they traded longtime QB Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos and still fielded a great team that qualified for the postseason.
During this offseason, the team is working to re-sign Pro Bowl quarterback Geno Smith, but general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll made it clear that the incoming deal won’t stop them from looking at a young QB in the NFL Draft.
“We are totally connected to the quarterbacks that are coming out,” Carroll told reporters at the NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis. “This is a really huge opportunity for us. It’s a rare opportunity. We’ve been drafting in the low 20s for such a long time; you just don’t get the chance with these guys. So we’re deeply involved with all that.”
The last time the Seahawks picked in the top 5 was back in 2009, which was the year before Carroll and Schneider arrived. They’ve made the playoffs 10 times in 13 seasons since. That is an insane level of success that all teams strive to have.
“A lot,” Schneider said when asked how much the Seahawks are looking at this year’s quarterback class. “Every year, honestly, we really look at it a lot. Like I said earlier, we haven’t picked fifth overall since we’ve been here. So yeah, I got out to see a lot of quarterbacks this year. It was pretty fun. But honestly, every year we’ve tried to do that, and we’ve tried to add quarterbacks.”
Geno Smith, who led the Seahawks to a playoff appearance this year following the trade of franchise quarterback Russell Wilson, began his NFL career with the Jets in 2013, when he was selected in the second round of the draft at 39th overall.
He had a breakout season in 2022. Smith’s 4,282 passing yards is not only a new personal best but the new passing record for the Seahawks. He also had 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as he led the team to the playoffs.
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For his effort, Smith was named the Associated Press Comeback Player of the Year.
