INDIANAPOLIS — Four quarterbacks. Four distinct talents. Four potential franchise front men.
But would any of them make sense for the Seahawks? Or perhaps the better question: Is there any real chance any of them will land in Seattle?
Last Friday, Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis all showed their faces at the NFL combine. And though Young didn’t showcase his skills in Indy the next day, the other three all impressed in their own ways.
Richardson set combine quarterback records with his vertical leap (40.5 feet) and broad jump (10 feet, 9 inches), while his 4.44-second 40-yard dash was the fourth quickest in combine history for a QB. He also threw three picturesque 60-yard bombs to end his day.
Stroud didn’t demonstrate his athleticism via 40 times or jumps, but he was accurate on almost all of his throws, including two of his three deep balls.
Levis had the second-longest broad jump and threw the ball 59 mph (one mile per hour less than Richardson, but at the time, the fastest ball in seven years).
All have been projected as top-five picks by at least one mock draft, with Young sitting as the consensus favorite to go first overall. So, what does this mean for the Seahawks? Might they use their top pick (fifth overall) to nab one of these four? Here’s a look at each candidate.
Bryce Young: He’s not your “prototypical” NFL quarterback at 5 foot 10, but one could argue there isn’t a true prototype for a QB in the league anymore. What Young does have is a game tape and career stat sheet that place him above the competition.
The Crimson Tide’s single-season record-holder for passing yards (4,872) and passing touchdowns leader (47) posted a career completion percentage of 65.8 in 34 games for Alabama. Only problem for the Seahawks? They’d likely have to give up their fifth pick and 20th pick (or maybe an early second-rounder) to get him. Doesn’t seem likely.
Anthony Richardson: This was someone who almost certainly would have been available at No. 5 before his combine performance, and perhaps the hype around his otherworldly showing in Indy will cool in the next few weeks. But as of now, Richardson is second behind Young as the sportsbooks’ favorites to go first overall in the draft.
His athleticism is exceptional for anybody, let alone a quarterback. His arm strength is off the charts, too. The significant question? His 2022 season was the only year he started, and he posted a 53.8 completion percentage with nine interceptions against 17 touchdown passes.
He might be out of reach as it is for the Seahawks — but would a team that is set to sign Geno Smith want to use its top pick on a guy who seems like a legitimate passing project? Hey, Josh Allen’s completion percentage wasn’t worth bragging about his senior year at Wyoming (56.3) and Seahawks general manager John Schneider was still interested. Might be tough to pass up if Richardson is still around. Big if, though.
C.J. Stroud: Before Saturday, Stroud seemed like the clear-cut No. 2 pick in the draft. And though he didn’t do anything to cause his stock to plunge, he didn’t display enough to keep Richardson out of the conversation.
What Stroud can say is that he is not a project. He posted a college career completion percentage of 69.3 and threw for 85 touchdowns against 12 interceptions over the past two seasons. Absurd numbers. And as I mentioned, he was solid in the drills he participated in on Saturday, earning a combine grade of A- from CBS Sports.
Only problem for Seahawks fans is that he seems like too much of a sure thing to fall lower than third. The 12s likely needed the Broncos to lose their final game of last season to have any chance at the Buckeye.
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Will Levis: This is the mystery man. The Wildcat is the wild card. Draft guru Mel Kiper once had Levis going No. 1 overall, and Saturday, had him going fifth to the Panthers via trade. And though sportsbooks still give him the fourth-best chance of going first overall (although his odds are significantly higher than the aforementioned trio), he’s fallen to as low as 29th in a different mock.
The problem with Levis are the interceptions. He had 13 of them in 2021 and 10 of them last season. This is compared to 24 touchdowns and 19, respectively. Nobody questions the natural ability, but a lot of plays have gone wrong.
Pete Carroll, perhaps more than any other coach in the NFL, emphasizes the importance of ball control. Don’t turn that thing over — and Levis does. Do the Seahawks risk a pick on that? I’m not sure they do.
In short: There is a considerable amount of saliva-inducing quarterback talent in this draft. But the three best ones all appear like they might go too high, and the fourth one likely doesn’t align with the Seahawks’ philosophy.
Even if Smith is signed come draft time, the Seahawks will take a hard look at the QBs. I just don’t think they’ll actually take one. At least not early.
