August 7th, 2022, Climate Pledge Arena, Seattle, Washington.. somewhere right around noontime.

I was sitting in my lower level seat next to my darling wife who is a GIGANTIC Seattle Storm fan as we were basking amongst the sold out crowd there to watch one of the most iconic Seattle sports legends play her final regular season game. It was an awesome experience seeing the love pouring out from fans in the seats, and former teammates and coaches, and other superstar athletes who have appreciated her greatness over the years through a video montage.

Sue Bird will go down as one of the greatest legends in Seattle sports history. If you are of the ilk who feels the compulsion to state that nobody cares about the WNBA, you are likely a fractured man with a frail sense of your own masculinity. It is that simple.

In Seattle, Washington, the Storm have a strong following, perhaps the biggest following of any WNBA team. No, they aren’t the Seahawks, or Sounders, or the Mariners as of late in terms of crowd size, but this town has plenty of fans of women’s basketball.

I have been to many Storm games over the years. I see Seahawk players regularly there, and former Sonic players hanging out court side, as well. I have regularly seen fans there wearing old Sonic jerseys who probably have adopted the Storm after the Sonics were stolen away from them (such is my story).

Of course, I have seen thousands of women of all age ranges there to support the finest women basketball players on the planet because they probably see girl power as a positive thing. Go figure that.

So, when I see some dude on the internet actually reply that nobody cares about the WNBA, I just kinda feel sorry for them. Finding comfort in their own masculinity must be fleeting.

But I have digressed severely from the original direction I was going with this piece.

Sue Bird is an astoundingly successful athlete who should be viewed as the GOAT of her sport once she is officially finished. She is one of the very best point guards I have ever seen play, and I have seen a lot of Gary Payton and John Stockton over the years. Her no-look passes are pure Jedi, and her abilities to take over games where her team needed her most are breathtaking to watch.

In 21 years of basketball in Seattle, she has won four titles. Additionally, she has won five Olympic gold metals. She has played longer on a Seattle team than anyone else ever has. She played longer than Steve Largent, Walter Jones, and Edgar Martinez.

She started her career as a Seattle Storm and she ended her career as one. That’s probably the most special thing about her, for me as a Seattle sports fan.

And it wasn’t all wine and roses for her, either. In between championships, she had legitimate down years with this club, and injured seasons, as she weathered through the ebbs and flows with this sport. In those periods of her career, she never looked for an opportunity to leave when the going got tough, and believe me, she would have had her pick of any WNBA team to go play for.

She could have gone home to New York, and she probably could have furthered her brand there, and became a bigger star on the national scene. She could have gone to LA and that would have easily opened doors for herself in the entertainment industry with her bursting personality.

Instead, she stayed in Alaska South, and waited for the Storm to build it up again to bring home a third and fourth ring.

So, when I sat there in the sold out arena, and I watched this very special celebration of her, and I saw Russell Wilson pop onto the Jumbotron, and I heard all the boos, if I am to be honest, I didn’t feel an ounce of badness about it. Not a bit of it, and I say thing having been as big of a Russell Wilson fan as any over the years.

This situation was about her, and her greatness. Storm fans were there to celebrate her, and not watch the dude who very passive aggressively worked a trade for himself out of town for the past year and a half.

Russell Wilson is many things for Seattle. He was a great quarterback in his prime, and he was a huge part of our city’s Super Bowl win. His play on the field was often times spectacular to watch. None of this can ever take that away from him, and I believe what he did for Seattle Children’s Hospital was even greater than anything he ever did on the field.

Having said all that, I believe there is this whole other side of Russ that runs very counter to all of that. His self promoting style is very hard to swallow as a fan, and I suspect some Denver fans are going to grow tired of that in a hurry, especially if he doesn’t prove to be the savior for their club like many are projecting. I think his desire to be the center of attention, and the entourage he rolls with probably makes him a challenging teammate, and maybe even more challenging to coach.

Russell Wilson is a diva, and the thing is, I think he’s likely always been one, long before he ever met and married Ciara. I think his marriage to Ciara is just a natural progression in his life, as I think being a Denver Bronco is after growing dissatisfied with the Seattle Seahawks.

Russell Wilson is fueled by an intense ambition. He’s hard wired with it, and it has lead to to achieve great things, but ambition is a double edged sword that comes with a cost.

His intense ambition led him to eventually wanting to get as far away from Pete Carroll’s style as he could. As a fan of both individuals, I think that’s sad, really.

In 2012, Pete Carroll went against his preferences at quarterback, and went with an unproven 5-10 quarterback to lead his team. All of Carroll’s quarterbacks were taller pocket passers, but Pete saw something special in him that he felt was worth riding with.

Many Russell Wilson fans say Pete Carroll held him back. I say Pete Carroll gave him a legitimate chance to be an NFL starter where most other head coaches probably would have viewed him as a plucky backup. If not for Pete, there likely would not have been this Russell Wilson story such as this one.

And people who are deeply fans of Russell Wilson can point to Pete holding him back in the last few years in Seattle, but do they ever consider that maybe Pete knew more about what Russ can and can’t do than they do? That maybe Pete knew exactly which style of offense gave Russ the best chance to succeed?

It’s going to be interesting to see what Russell does in Denver over the next few years. I can see him doing great things, but I can also see him struggling. We shall see soon enough.

One thing that we will never see from Russ, though, is anything close to having the legacy in Seattle that Sue Bird will own forever. There will likely be a statue of Sue Bird outside of the Pledge Arena. I highly doubt that there will ever be a statue of Russ outside of Lumen Field.

That said, I suspect, over the years, Russ will be thought of kindly by most Seattle fans again, but right now, I don’t personally blame anyone who can’t resist the urge to boo him. I don’t think that makes them trash. I think it makes them passionate Seattle fans who didn’t like how he and his agent worked their way to Denver by trashing Pete Carroll and teammates in a back channel way to the likes of Colin Cowherd, and such.

Sue Bird would never have done that, and didn’t do that. I’m sure there were times in the span of twenty one years where she wasn’t in love with Seattle’s coaching, or maybe felt the front office didn’t make enough of the right kind of moves to surround her with better talent.

Sue Bird’s greatness isn’t just what she did on the court. It was who and what she was off of it that made her what she is, and how she will always be thought of by everyone who played with her, and coached her.

Can anyone ever say the same about Russell Wilson?

I don’t think anyone outside of Colin Cowherd and Russell’s agent can with any honesty.

If I had one wish for Russell Wilson while he was here in Seattle, it would have been for some trusted individual close to him to point to Sue, and convince him to truly be more like her. I think it would have made his legacy greater, and maybe he would still be here.

I am sure he meant well wishing Sue the best in that video montage. I believe he’s a genuine fan of hers, but also I think he has earned some boos at Climate Pledge from anyone who was feeling it in that moment.

I also think that it is absolutely poised to be a wild home opener at Lumen Field in a month. I will be very curious to see how he is greeted. My guess is that it will be a mixture, and I think that is completely reasonable response from the Twelves.

Cheer him, if you are feeling it. Boo him, if you need to do it. It’s all a process.

As for Sue, you keep doing you, girl.

Go Storm.

A few months ago, I was driving southbound on I-5 through Seattle on a busy afternoon, and as I decided to get off on the freeway onto the 4th Avenue exit, I noticed a rather grim sight. There, at Lumen Field, the two gigantic murals of Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner were taken down, and there was nothing in their place.

I thought to myself, “who do the Seattle Seahawks even put up there now?”

Only the name of one player immediately came into my mind, and that was DK Metcalf.

This is when I knew that the Seattle Seahawks weren’t going to trade him. There’s no other player on their roster that has superstar potential that they can market after moving on from Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner.

Not Tyler Lockett, Rashaad Penny, Jordyn Brooks, Jamal Adams, or even Quandre Diggs. Not that these guys aren’t bad players. They’re all very good, but they aren’t superstars. Not like DK is becoming.

Don’t believe me? Even Hollywood is seeing is star potential these days as he’s set to star in a Paramount feature film.

Right now, DK Metcalf is the Seahawks’ best shot at having a bright young face of the franchise player. So when the deal was announced on Thursday, while I was definitely joyed at the news, I wasn’t surprised. This was a deal the Seahawks had to do.

Some fans will clench their hands over the cost, and they will say that he isn’t a top five receiver in this league, and this team is being foolish. I am not one of those.

I see DK Metcalf as an ascending talent who’s best football is still ahead of him. From a physicality perspective, the only other Seattle sports athlete that I can think to compare him to is Sonics legend Shawn Kemp. Kemp was a physical nightmare in his prime with rare size and speed and power. This is very much DK Metcalf, for me.

What Seattle needs to do now is let him take over like the Sonics eventually did with Kemp. They need to go get him a point guard at quarterback like Kemp had with Gary Payton. I am positive that is the plan moving forward.

In the meantime, let him be this team’s leader, and face for now. He’s freakishly talented, and highly marketable.

I was at Seahawks training camp this Saturday, and I saw DK jerseys everywhere. All eyes where on him, and the crowd cheered at his catches in traffic. There’s a buzz about him, and there’s a air of confidence that he now carries with him on the practice field. He knows he’s the man.

And let’s see what this season brings us at the end. Maybe, someone else will emerge along with him as a new star. Maybe it’s defensive end Darrell Taylor taking the next step. Maybe it’s Rashaad Penny, or Ken Walker toting the ball. Maybe, it’s even Drew Lock, or Geno Smith, as wild as that might sound.

But for right now, there’s only one certainty. This team belongs to DK. There’s no Russ for him to be a little brother towards, and there’s no Bobby for him to gain sage advise, either.

Now, it’s time for DK to be that guy, the bigger brother offering support to others. This is on him now. That’s what that massive 3 three year extension means. He has to be the guy.

Personally, I think he’s ready for it. In fact, I know he is.

DK is many things. He’s a surviver, a thriver, and he’s a disco diver.

No, he’s not a disco diver. I just thought it would be funny to throw that in to see if you’ve been napping.

All seriousness, I think this is his time, and I am personally ready for it. I need new blood stepping forward with this team, and I can’t see anyone more better suited to do that now than DK Metcalf.

People will joke about who he’s got at quarterback (and they are), but the truth is that a guy like DK Metcalf is going to make any quarterback’s job easier. This is partly why I am not sweating Seattle’s quarterback situation much this year. I’m willing to see what happens, and I happen to love that fact that DK will be a big part of this show for the next four years.

This was a no brainer move by this team. They locked up their best playmaker. Now, go figure out the point guard for him.

And just throw him that damn slant pass over the middle and watch him beast defenders into oblivion. Do this, Drew, or Geno, or whomever.

Observations from Seahawks training camp practice on Saturday July 30th

A lot of stuff has been made about the two quarterbacks battling for the starting job in Seattle, and how poor they had looked at the start of camp. The Sports Radio 710 morning host in Seattle has had a good time ripping on how bad of a throw and decision Drew Lock made at the end of their first practice last Wednesday. Others have pointed to how rough Thursday was for Geno Smith, fumbling the ball multiple times in his quest to hold Lock off.

Of course, we all know what the national media take is on Seattle’s quarterback situation. They all think Pete Carroll is absolutely bat shit for not going and getting Baker Mayfield or Jimmy Garoppolo.

Well, I’m no QB guru, or anything close to that, but from what I watched from the blazing hot hillside of the VMAC Saturday afternoon, I thought both quarterbacks did well at various points. I thought Geno Smith had a good command of the offense, and had an obvious connection with DK and Tyler Lockett, but I thought Drew Lock started to look better as the scrimmaging drills went on.

I thought Lock had the best throw of the day, zipping a perfect back shoulder throw that was caught for a score against tight coverage. He also showed good movement and a willingness to run, along with some nice passes over the middle on shallow crossers (something we have seen Russell Wilson do very little of over the last few years).

From what I see of the quarterbacks, Geno is clearly ahead, but Lock looks intriguing enough to want to see more of him with the starters. I can see this battle going right down to the end of the preseason. I also think it’s possible that whomever the starter is, Seattle’s QB situation may not be as bad as some radio voices are making it seem like it is, but we will see.

In our rookie watch, I thought three guys really stood out to me on Saturday.

Ken Walker looks special at running back with how he cuts and how fast he is. It was interesting to se how effective he was running through traffic inside.

Left tackle Charles Cross stoned Seattle’s best pass rusher in Darrell Taylor on a play, and rendered him useless. He looked decent in run blocking as well, but he did have one false start. Cross looks promising. This is a big deal.

The biggest play of any rookie came from cornerback Cobe Bryant, though. In defending a twenty yard sideline throw from Drew Lock to tight end Colby Parkinson, Bryant timed his leap perfectly to rip the ball out of Parkinson’s hands for what looked like was going to be an easy touchdown grab. That play wowed the crowd, and erupted the defensive sideline. I like the potential of this guy a lot.

Backup safety Josh Jones made a good physical play on a deep pass from Geno Smith, and ripped the ball away from the receiver for an INT.

Rashaad Penny looks big and FAST at running back. I’m maybe most excited about what Penny and Walker do at running back this year. Both were making plays as runners and pass catchers.

The starting pass rushing DL looks like Darrell Taylor and Uchenna Nwosu as the ends, and Quinton Jefferson and Shelby Harris at the tackles. Nwosu looked especially quick off the edge.

And finally, Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf looked like absolute studs together at receiver. Lockett and Geno had a definite vibe going on in the red zone drills. This left me with the prevailing thought that maybe Seattle could be a sneaky team this year, if the chips fall right. Wouldn’t that be fun if they were?

Go Hawks

“KJ always does it right.”

Those were the words that my wife would hear out of my mouth whenever I would see KJ make a splash play as a starting linebacker for my Seattle Seahawks. Fortunately, there were a lot of those plays over the years. But that’s not the reason KJ will always be one of my favorite all-time Hawks. It runs deeper than that.

Yesterday, July 28th, 2022, was a weird day for me. I was commuting home on I-5 through downtown with my work bud when we got stuck in a major traffic stall because a truck carrying oxygen tanks caught fire and those tanks started to.. explode. To our fortune, we weren’t close to the truck of exploding tanks, and we were eventually diverted down an on ramp that led us through downtown and back on southbound lanes.

But it was there in that jam where my pal, Ray, while checking Facebook, learned that we had suddenly lost a friend. Major double whammy.

Nick Garrison was a legend in the Seattle theatre community to which both Ray and I have been a part of for many years, and have each done shows with him. Nick was breathtakingly watchable and sharply funny, but there was a lot more to him that that.

I have only been in one production with Nick. It was Twelfth Night at the Seattle Rep that featured a star studded cast of Seattle theatre royalty and some fancy actors out of New York. I had a tiny chorus role, and Nick played the tiny principal character of Fabian. In a role that required very little stage time, and dialogue, Nick Garrison stole that entire production away from a bunch of serious heavy hitters, and he did it without upstaging anyone. He was just that dynamically sharp and fascinating to watch.

But off-stage, Nick Garrison was an even bigger sweetheart with what always appeared to be a purely kind soul. I’ve never personally known another person who has that much talent and that much outward kindness. The theatre scene is ripe with talent and some expected big egos that can come with it. I was not super close with Nick, but around him, I never sensed a whiff of ego.

This is KJ Wright to me, and why I think he’s one of the absolute greatest Seahawks of all time. He was ultra talented as a player, but he was even a better person to everyone around him.

At 6-4 and 250 lbs, he looked like a NFL defensive end, but he was a pure off-ball middle linebacker who used that length and strength to his advantage along with his next level instincts. I have been a diehard Seahawks fan since the early 1980’s and there are very few games of this team that I have not watched. I have seen a lot of good linebackers play here, but I have never seen another Seahawk linebacker routinely blow up screen plays like KJ was able to do in his diagnosis of what the offense was trying to do.

“Don’t get fooled by the oke doke” is something I heard him say on sports radio when he was early in his career and quickly found himself in the starting lineup and playing at a high level. It was evident that KJ was taught and understood football awareness at a high level, and that was, for certain, one of his NFL superpowers that he used to pair with his rare size at his position.

KJ made plays. He was good in coverage. He was good in space. He was great at the line of scrimmage when needed, but I think he was even a better teammate, and that was his ultimate superpower. He deeply cared about people, and he had the courage to lift them up whenever he felt that was needed.

You cannot put a value number on what that means to any organization to have that type of person around. Sure, there were splashier players on Seattle’s legendary defense, and we can list them together, but KJ’s role within that defense, in my opinion, was absolutely as vital.

He was a galvanizing piece to the puzzle that made for one of the absolute best defenses of all time. His ultimate strength as a player was his heart and how he let it shine towards his brothers and anyone else around that organization.

Nick Garrison will deeply be remembered for his immense talent and kindness in a tight knit Seattle theatre community. He inspired many, and touched a lot of souls. I was not super close with him, but he was always one of my favorite people to bump into. He made me feel like I mattered.

As I write this out, I find this odd poetry that Nick passed away around the same time that KJ Wright signed a one day contract in order to retire a Seattle Seahawks. Having known Nick, and from what I know of KJ, they operated very similarly. Inside, they were built the same way, I suspect. There is no value to be placed on these type of people.

When my son grows throughout his life, I will tell him about KJ Wright. I will say to him that KJ always did it right. I was share with him my memories of watching him put George Kittle on his ass as well as how special of a guy we was, and how special his final press conference was to watch.

I will also tell my boy about Nick, I suspect.

“Just be a good person.”

That’s what KJ said in response to the question that asked what he wanted his legacy to be about at his final press conference. The most important thing to him is being there for others around him.

KJ Wright is many things, but a good person is what he is most, and that should mean everything in football and life. It is my hope that his legacy carries over with this new look Seattle Seahawk team, and there will be someone on that roster who will carry forth what he meant for this club. That, in my opinion, is the surest path to building this team back up again into a special one.

And to any friend of mine who knew Nick Garrison well, and happens to be reading this, I am really sorry for your loss. He was special.

Peace and love, and go Hawks.

Dear Seattle Seahawk Fan,

Let me first start this off by saying that, I had been previously heavily into the idea of Baker Mayfield becoming a Seattle Seahawk for 2022. When healthy, I think he can be a fun quarterback to watch. He’s got spunk. I like spunk. Also, at age 27, it has been hard for me to determine whether he’s peaked as an NFL starting quarterback. I kinda think he hasn’t.

So, when news broke that he’d been finally traded to the Carolina Panthers for a mere conditional 5th round pick in 2023, I was a bit bummed for a spell, and then I sorta moved on.. to Jimmy Garoppolo.

I won’t lie. These rumors that Seattle is interested in acquiring Garoppolo intrigue me, but I understand it if you would rather pass.

We have all had a good chuckle at Jimmy G in the PNW over the years while we had Russell Wilson up here. He’s not an athlete like Russ, and he doesn’t have the deep ball abilities like Russ, either. He’s also proven injury prone, and Russ, for the most part, has not been.

Nevertheless, when healthy, Garoppolo proved to be a very capable system quarterback for San Fransisco, and the players down there love this guy. I believe these things matter in football.

When healthy, Jimmy G is a smart enough quarterback to know what a defense is trying to do, and where to go with the ball quickly and accurately with short to intermediate throws. He’s very good at throwing to his running backs and tight ends (something maybe Russ didn’t do enough of).

When he throws an interception, he doesn’t get rattled. He has confidence in himself and his teammates to bounce back, and he’s done this many times. He’s a natural leader, and a likable guy.

These are all important qualities in a quarterback. If Seattle were to make a rare interdivisional trade for him with San Fransisco, I would not be disappointed. I think many of the things he does well as a starter fit along with what offensive coordinator Shane Waldron wants to do with this offense.

I think that this sort of trade would also signal that Seattle likes the shape of its young roster, and they believe they can compete for the playoffs this year, and that idea excites me. I don’t mind watching this team stay competitive as they transition away from Russ.

Having said all this stuff, then there’s this curious case of one Drew Lock, and the feels that I feel when it comes to this guy. Here’s the big reveal I offer about myself. I am a big time sucker for a good underdog story.

One did not become a fan of the Seattle Seahawks in the early 1980’s by not rooting for an underdog. This is a deeply embedded trait of mine, and I would argue that all three of the Seahawks’ most prolific passers were underdog stories in David Krieg, Matthew Hasselbeck, and Russell Wilson. Like it, or not, the underdog quarterback is a HUGE part of the Seattle sports DNA.

So, yeah, I’m slowly becoming a bit of a Drew Lock fan. I’m really pulling for the guy to succeed in Seattle. Like, I would LOVE for that to happen.

He seems like a genuinely likable dude, and I like that in a quarterback. He’s taken a ton of flack from fans and some media, and weirdly, the US Open Tennis. He’s handled it well, and has joked it off with ease. Personally, I find that endearing.

And you can laugh at that all you want about any idea of him turning it around. I get it. He lead the league in interceptions in 2020, was replaced in 2021 by the journeyman of journeymen starters in Teddy Bridgewater, and currently hasn’t been “beating out” Geno Smith as QB1 during Spring OTAs (I got some thoughts on that one).

You can pull up all kinds of historical examples of quarterbacks who had rough starts to their careers as Drew Lock has had, and never materialized into good players. You can say there was a reason he slid out of the first round in the 2019 draft when some projected him to be the second best quarterback prospect behind Kyler Murray.

I also get that you might be eyeing the 2023 NFL draft class of quarterbacks, and believing that there is a future star sitting there for Seattle to pluck up if they suck enough this year, and that has you not much interested in a scenario of Drew Lock turning it around for himself this year. For many, the golden ticket is to get a bright young quarterback on a rookie contract, such as Seattle had when it went to back to back Super Bowls a decade ago. I totally get this stuff.

But I guess I would also like to point out that when Matthew Hasselbeck first got to Seattle, a couple decades ago, he initially sucked as a starter. I was there, and saw it live.

He forced throws into coverage. He was head strong about his abilities, and he had an arrogance as a young starter that felt unearned. He ended up benched in favor of a veteran bandaid quarterback in Trent Dilfer much like Drew Lock was last year in Denver for Bridgewater.

I know this Matt HasseIbeck story well because I was one of the masses in the stands chanting for Dilfer every time he threw a pick (which was often). Finally, Mike Holmgren benched Hass for Difler, and the team became more competitive. Fans like myself felt validated, and Hasselbeck seemed destined to be yet another quarterback miss by an organization that missed on quarterbacks for the entire decade of the 1990’s.

People forget just how close it was for Matt Hasselbeck to have a flame out in the league before his career even got truly started. It was dangerously close.

Hasselbeck sat for about a year on the bench behind Difler, and if it wasn’t for a season ending injury to Dilger that forced Hasselbeck back into the lineup, he might likely would have busted out of the league. Seattle would have likely continued with Dilfer until they drafted (or traded) for his replacement.

But that was not to be Hasselbeck’s story. Due to this Difler injury, he got a second chance at being a starter, and in that chance, he played more within himself, and the offense finally clicked for him. Two years later he would be a starting quarterback in a Super Bowl, and he is arguably the second best quarterback in Seahawk franchise history.

Matt Hasselbeck got a second chance to rewrite his own story as an NFL quarterback. With this new chance, he changed up his attitude. He became a better team player. He understood more what Holmgren wanted him to do, he executed it, and fought back his worst impulses on the field.

He became a good, reliable, Pro Bowl worthy quarterback.

So, when I look Drew Lock in Seattle this Summer, fighting for a second chance, it’s very hard for me not to think about Hasselbeck twenty years ago. It’s not entirely an unrealistic idea that Lock’s story could mirror Hass’s.

Drew Lock is only 25 years old, and has only started just over 20 games in the league. That’s not a lot of starts, and call me crazy, but I think his 25-20 TD-INT ratio is perfectly indicative of a young quarterback going through the pains of figuring out NFL defenses and his abilities to play against them.

Last year, Denver’s head coach was on the hot seat, and long lost patience with his development. Vic Fangio needed to win games, and he went with his version of Trent Dilfer in Teddy Bridgewater. This is what I read into Drew Lock’s notorious benching in 2021.

So, while it didn’t work out for Lock in Denver, maybe it will for him in Seattle, if Seattle doesn’t make a move for another quarterback (or ride with Geno Smith all season). Maybe with a true second chance, he plays more within himself, and becomes a good fit for what Seattle wants to do. We won’t know unless Seattle gives him this chance, and I have landed on the position of hoping that they do.

Pete Carroll is not on any hot seat, no matter how NFL pundits want to spin it into a storyline for the 2022 season, or some upset Seahawk fans want to wish it into existence. Jody Allen would not have endorsed trading away Russell Wilson during an off-season that hosted a bad NFL draft class for quarterbacks with an idea that Pete was going to immediately roll this team back into a powerhouse right away. She knows this is going to be a process. Pete’s job is most likely one of the safest in the league.

Therefore, he has luxury to see what is there with Drew Lock. I suspect that he knows this, and that is why this team didn’t trade for Baker Mayfield, or draft Malik Willis with one of their second or third round picks back in late April.

And for those who think I am drawing too much on Hasselbeck as a positive example for Drew Lock, he isn’t the only NFL quarterback who’s career started out rough. I also seem to remember Peyton Manning throwing a ton of interceptions during the early points of his career, but being he first overall pick in 1999, I think it’s fair to say say he was afforded the luxury of time to work out the kinks.

So, while I get that many people are giving Drew Lock a zero chance of working out as the starting quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks, forgive me if I am not one of those. I think it might be well worth it if Seattle ultimately does give him a shot at it.

If Drew Lock fails to take command of this team, and lead this young offense to success, Seattle can look to the veteran market next year, or more likely, they can look to the draft where it is expected to be a better one for quarterbacks. They would have the draft capital necessary to make either sort of move on a guy that they want.

But if it clicks for Lock in this offense, and unexpectedly, he’s able to guide this team into post season contention, play efficiently, making enough plays when needed, and being a good distributer the way Pete Carroll loves his quarterbacks to be.. well, then things become more interesting for 2023, potentially.

Then you are looking at a quarterback who is young enough, experienced enough, has enough top end physical talent, and has shown an ability to turn his game around. That sounds like a guy who maybe John Schneider and Pete Carroll want to consider keeping around, especially if he’s won over the locker room.

It also sounds like another example of the Seattle Seahawks keeping their tradition of the underdog quarterback making good a continual thing. And if this happens, then all that draft capital from Denver can be used to further build out a young foundational core to help this organization go beyond mere playoff contention again. And isn’t that the goal, anyways?

Personally, I would be there for that.

Go Hawks!

Rule number one with any successful NFL draft: fans should never dictate who gets picked where.

I know this is a tough pill for some fans to follow, especially the smart fans who will say you should never draft a running back high, and the fans who thought Liberty quarterback Malik Willis was a sure fire first round talent (he wasn’t).

If you don’t like the fact that the seemingly QB needy Seattle Seahawks didn’t draft one, I would encourage you to let go of that position for this year. By most expert accounts, this quarterback class had all the makings of a bad one. I think Seattle did the right thing to avoid the position, and instead, focused on other positions of need where the talent in this draft was clearly superior.

I know many Twelves aren’t digging the prospect of Drew Lock at quarterback this year, but I think the truth of the matter is, if Lock were a quarterback in this class, he probably have been the first one taken. Therefore, the Seattle Seahawks might as well see what they have with him in 2022 before deciding on spending high draft capital on an unproven dude who has never faced an Aaron Donald before in his life.

If Lock doesn’t work out, then Seattle can search for a QB in 2023. However, if he plays well enough, beyond expectations of many, well then, the Russell Wilson trade to Denver will probably look all the better for Seattle in the end. In that scenario, Seattle would have their quarterback situation solved, one would think. My guess is that is exactly what they are thinking.

But enough of this quarterback talk. Seattle did the right thing in the first round by staying at 9 and taking Charles Cross, who some view as the best pass blocking left tackle in the draft. I would have taken defensive tackle Jordan Davis there, and therefore, I am another example of why fans shouldn’t be decision makers.

Cross is a pure left tackle who was carved out of a left tackle factory to play left tackle in the NFL and that is what Seattle picked. Bravo. Outside of quarterback, this was, by far, their biggest need, and they nailed it.

But John Schneider and Pete Carroll were not to be outdone by their Cross selection. At pick 40, they found Minnesota pass rusher Boye Mafe landing in their laps and the snatched him up for dear life.

If Seattle had traded out of 9 into the teens for another day two pick, and taken Mafe, that move probably wouldn’t have been criticized. In fact, it would have made sense. Mafe compares to former Seahawk great Cliff Avril, and that would have been the thing talked about. They wanted their new version of Cliff, and they got him. Excellent.

And I get it that many Twelves probably weren’t doing first pumps into the air when with their next pick at 41, when they took Michigan State runner Kenneth Walker III, but let’s consider why they did that. Chris Carson has a severe neck injury, and it’s possible he won’t play football again. We gotta be real about that fact, and while we are being real there, let’s also acknowledge that Rashaad Penny has a long injury history in this league (as promising as he has finally turned into as a runner).

The Seahawks needed a plan at running back better than walking back Penny, and hoping Carson could play again. They decided to take perhaps the best running back out of this draft, and a player who was a Heisman contender. If Walker was taken in the bottom of round one, few draft pundits would have considered that a reach, and for those Seahawk fans who largely criticized this team for not taking MVP candidate Jonathan Taylor a couple years ago over Jordyn Brooks, well, this Walker pick is for you.

But Seattle was still not to be outdone with their selections of Cross, Mafe, and Walker. No way.

At pick 72, they took stud Washington State Cougar right tackle Abraham Lucas at a spot in the draft that I thought he would have next to no chance still being there. I mocked Lucas to Seattle several times at picks 40 and 41. I thought there would honestly be a decent chance he would get snatched up at the end of round one.

Lucas was one of my very favorite players in this draft. I think he has the makings of being a premiere right tackle, and I thought he had the athletic talent to possibly even shift to left tackle, if needed. He’s that special. In college, he was a really solid pass blocker, and held his own against Kayvon Thibodeaux last year. He’s also a highly athletic mover as a run blocker. Ask WSU running back Max Borghi how good Lucas is as a blocker.

With Cross and Lucas together, I truly believe Seattle Seahawks have the goods to develop one of the best bookend tackle situations in this league in a couple short years. This gets my juices flowing. I’m jacked on that idea.

And this is how good programs draft. None of these picks were a reach, and this approached stretched into early round four when Seattle picked up Cincinnati cornerback Coby Bryant; a big, smart, instinctive, physical cover corner that many project as a solid starter in the league, and someone who just so happens to be the recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award given to the best defensive back in all of college football. Are you kidding me? Oh, heck yeah.

But was Seattle done at cornerback with Bryant? HELL NO THEY WEREN’T!

In early round five, these sneaky Seahawks took Tariq Woolen out of USTA who some believed would be a second round pick simply due to his immense upside. What upside am I referring to here? How about 6-4 205 pounds of dude who runs a blistering 4.28 forty yard dash.

Why did he slide? Well, he’s two years new to playing corner being a wide receiver convert. Does that sound familiar? OF COURSE IT DOES, THAT WAS WHAT RICHARD SHERMAN WAS, AND THIS DUDE IS WAY FASTER!

There’s legit chance that Woolen, in round five, ultimately becomes the biggest steal out of this draft. He has that kind of upside. Time will ultimately tell, but what a great mid round pick there. I love this pick!

A few picks later, Seattle grabs another edge rusher in Ohio State’s Tyreke Smith, a long limbed 6-3 254 pound dude with a good motor, and a bit of a bad ass edge. Smart pick. Two things are certain in life; one is that mayonnaise is absolutely disgusting, and the other is that Ohio State defensive linemen routinely find steady gigs in the NFL, and now in Seattle, we have one. I dig it.

Finally, the Seahawks manage to find a speedy route runner receiver who was garnishing some third round consideration in round seven in Bo Melton, and then grabbed another bigger speedy pass catcher in Dareke Young (who based on his highlights, looks like he can do some fun stuff with handoffs, as well). I’m not going to pretend to know how good either of these cats are, but hearing Rob Rang compare Melton to Doug Baldwin on the radio during my afternoon commute made me almost swerve in traffic. I was pretty fired up on that.

So, yeah, I’m totally pumped on these Seahawks now. They absolutely SLAYED this draft, I think.

They went best player at need positions early, and found potentially great value in the later rounds. This is exactly what you want out of your team when a rebuild is happening. That’s how you properly get the whole thing going.

And they didn’t reach on a quarterback who will likely be no better than Drew Lock (or even Jacob Eason, for that matter).

With the haul Seattle landed out of this draft class, I am profoundly more excited about 2022. They double dipped at offensive tackle, pass rush, cornerback, and receiver, and they landed a stud running back who could become a superstar in this league. I see some star talent, and I see some valuable depth added. Outstanding.

The only real question mark is at quarterback, and while that is the most important position, I’m willing to see what happens with Lock in 2022 (assuming he wins the competition). If he pans out, then that’s aces, and if he doesn’t, well, this roster will be primed for a different quarterback next year.

I, for one, can wait quarterback out, if needed. Just build the roster right, and a quarterback will come, if he isn’t here already.

Do I think that quarterback is here?

I don’t know. We will see.

Do I think this team can compete more than expected in 2022?

I think it’s possible, but it’s not the expectation I have.

My desire for this team is to build a roster up enough that any functional quarterback can guide it back into contention. With the dearth of true top end quarterback talent, I feel this is what smart organizations do. I think this is exactly what Seattle did in 2012.

So, let’s just do that again. I’m here for that, and I think this is a tremendously positive start.

Go Hawks!

Dear Seahawks Fan,

I will be the first to admit this, I didn’t want the Seahawks to draft a left tackle at pick 9. I wanted them to go for behemoth Georgia defensive tackle Jordan Davis, who ran a ridiculous 4.7 forty at an impressive hulk-ish size of 6-6 340 pounds.

I wanted Jordan Davis badly, and I didn’t care if he wasn’t an edge rusher. I got caught up on his size and traits and what Pete Carroll could mold out of that.

My concern was that Seattle was going to pass him up for a left tackle, but the guy I was convinced they would grab with Trevor Penning of Northern Iowa, who is another size/speed freak, but my concern on Penning was how raw he seemed as a pass blocker, and that would feel very on brand for Pete Carroll to go for a guy like that. I was bracing for that reality, and had accepted it for days.

Seahawks played a brilliant smokescreen game of leaking out their interests over the last few days leading to the draft in both Davis and Penning. As I weighed both, I wanted Davis so much more. I just felt like, if you are going to pick at 9, take the guy who has the chance at being the more impactful pro, and it felt like Davis had the it-factor over Penning.

But alas, Seattle took neither. They took left tackle Charles Cross instead, who I hadn’t much considered, not because he’s not a good player, but because he played in an air raid style offense as far removed from a Pete Carroll offense in college as you can get.

You see, Cross wasn’t asked to run block much for Mike Leach at Mississippi State. Not that he didn’t run block, but that wasn’t his calling card. He’s a pure pass protector.

Seahawks did the right thing here. This is the first pick to set the rebuild post Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner. They needed to get a left tackle capable of protecting the blind side of the next quarterback for the next decade of Seahawk football, and they grabbed the guy many considered the best pass blocking tackle in this draft. Maybe not an explosive run blocker, but the guy who will protect, and get it done.

I applaud this pick. I sorta suspect it signals a shift in philosophy towards more of what Shane Waldron wants as an offensive coordinator as opposed to what Pete Carroll wants as a defensive minded (and run the ball at you) head coach.

I like that the Seattle Seahawks did the very grown up thing and drafted the most important position in football outside of quarterback with their first pick in this draft, and got what looks like a really good one, instead of doing what I would have done, and drafted a freakish defensive tackle who may or may not be more than a two down player in the league.

Time will tell if Charles Cross is a pro bowl left tackle. The Seattle Seahawks certainly think he’s on that trajectory.

All I know is that when I watch his tape, I see great balance and footwork, and someone with the skilled athleticism to play basketball who can stay with a rusher and redirect. This is pretty much what you want out of a left tackle.

This feels like a solid pick and a great start to this all too important 2022 draft for the Seattle Seahawks. They got the left tackle and there is still plenty of talent to be had in early round two and three.

Anyone who has been reading this blog knows what I think they should do. Go get Baker Mayfield, and use picks 40 and 41 elsewhere outside of quarterback. It’s not that I don’t like Malik Willis, or Desmond Ridder, or Matt Corral, it’s just that I don’t think any of these guys are likely to be better than what Mayfield is, and Mayfield won’t cost a high pick due to how stupid Cleveland handled his situation.

My Wishlist for Days Two and Three of the Draft

Here is the short order wish list of players moves I would love to see the Seahawks do over the next few days. I do’t expect all these moves to happen. This is just merely guys I would love to see as Seahawks and think there’s a great fit here for.

Baker Mayfield via trade. When healthy, he’s a top fifteen quarterback in this league who probably hasn’t reached his full ceiling yet as a player. I would also be willing to wager that, with the chip on his shoulder he will have coming to Seattle, he would be a fun player for fans to watch, and I think Pete Carroll would be the perfect head coach for him to be more comfortably himself.

Washington State offensive tackle Abraham Lucas would be an outstanding complement Charles Cross, and would give Seattle the potential for an outstanding offensive line for the next several years.That’s an exciting thought.

An edge rusher with dynamic upside like Sam Williams out of Ole Miss, or Minnesota’s Boye Mafe to mix in with Darrell Taylor, Uchenna Nwosu and Alton Robinson would give Seattle a bright young rotation of edge rushers to reshape this defense into a top ten one.

Washington cornerback Kyle Gordon would be a outstanding fit for this defense, and if he slides to 40, he would make tons of sense. He’s got good size and great natural athleticism.

Wisconsin linebacker Leo Chenal is an old school throwback middle linebacker with size, speed, and strength to be a true enforcer inside when Seattle plays more 3-4 looks in its base defense. Seattle could use a thumper like this to pair with Jordan Brooks, and he’s a great blitzer.

Connecticut defensive tackle Travis Jones is a size/speed monster not too for off from Jordan Davis, and he offers interior pass rush potential. He would be an exciting addition to the front four of this defense who could play nose, big 3 tech, and 5 tech.

Cam Jurgens is solidly the second best center prospect in this draft and would be a great fit for Waldron’s zone blocking offense. He’s a tough dude, as well. I would be thrilled if Seattle drafted him.

In the later rounds, I really like Washington State running back Max Borghi to the Seahawks as an underrated runner and a great pass catching running back. He would be an immediate fan favorite here, too.

Finally, if Seattle were to take a quarterback with pick 40 or 41, I think Ole Miss QB Matt Corral is the best system fit for what Shane Waldron would want his quarterback to do, and I think he likely has higher upside over Desmond Ridder and Sam Howell, and he won’t likely be as much of a project as Malik Willis. For me, Corral is a mixture for Jimmy Garoppolo and Jalen Hurts who were both second round picks that have become functional NFL starters. I think Corral has more talent than both, and is worth a shot in the second round, if they want to go QB.

If Seattle lands any of these dudes, or combination of these dudes, I am to be pretty fired up for the potential of this team in 2022, and beyond. If they can snap up two or three guys off of this list, I will do cartwheels in my backyard and terrify my family.

Will they make any of these moves????

It’s going to be fun to find out!

Go Hawks.

Dear Seattle Seahawks,

I am so flipping excited about this draft, I’m a walking talking spaz machine. After 12 years without a top ten draft pick, you are in prime position to select a BAMF player to kick start your rebuild. I haven’t been this giddy with anticipation since I learned that the original leads of Star Wars were coming back for the last trilogy.

I just got one simple ask over the next few days.

Please, don’t get too cute with this draft. Pretty please.

If you are going to trade out of pick 9, please let it be for a stud player you know that you can get a little bit later, and please let that player be either an offensive or defensive lineman. Pretty, pretty please.

I am going to give you a very short list of wants that I have for your team, and I hope that it will serve you as a bit of a guide line for the next 72 hours.

I want you to draft defensive tackle Jordan Davis with your first pick. I know your interior defensive line rotation is probably fairly decent, and you have much bigger needs at offensive tackle, quarterback, corner, and probably linebacker, but I really, REALLY want you to just take Davis. 6-6 340 pounds running a 4.7 forty makes him a Marvel character, and frankly, I want that on this defense. Put him inside, and it will make Darrell Taylor’s job a heck of a lot easier. Please just get this guy. Pretty, pretty please with a cherry on top.

I don’t want you to draft a quarterback. It’s not that I don’t like Matt Corral or Desmond Ridder, it’s that I want these picks going to other premium positions of need. I think it’s a better draft for that, and I want you to just go out and trade for a certain disgruntled young veteran quarterback with a MASSIVE CHIP ON HIS SHOULDER who’s name rhymes with Maker Bayfield. Yeah, please just do that. I think he and Pete would be a good match for each other.

I really want you to draft Washington State offensive tackle Abraham Lucas. I think he’s exactly what you need at right tackle, and he might even have what it takes to shift to a left. He’s long and athletic, moves well, and pass blocks pretty darn good, as he held his own against Jayvon Thibodeaux in the game against Oregon last year. He’s who you need at offensive tackle. If you are going to trade up towards the bottom of round one, have it be for this guy.

I want you to draft a stud linebacker who will attack the line of scrimmage, take on guards, and fly to the ball. This looks like a really good draft to do just that. Please draft the Water Boy.

I want you to find a good center prospect who will develop into a starter. You got Austin Blythe here now. So, I don’t think you need to go early at this position unless there’s a guy there that you think will be a pro bowl player here for years. If that’s the case, then yeah, draft that dude, but either way, find us a center who can be legit.

I really liked what you did last year picking up cornerback Tre Brown in the middle rounds. He looks like a dude who can be a pretty good player in this league. Go get us another one to go along with him. I’m cool with you waiting until the mid rounds again, if you think you can get the dude here.

Please draft Washington State running back (offensive weapon) Max Borghi. I don’t know why I’m gravitating to Cougars so much this year, maybe it’s the way they showed grit through adversity last year, but I’m a big believer in Borghi. I think he’s an underrated runner, and at worst, a really good candidate for the third down back gig here. He’s a local hero, and the fans will love him. Go get this guy.

If you do all these things, this will be a great, grand slam, home run draft. This will be the proper draft to usher in a new era of Seahawks football, and it will bring back that energy that was felt circa 2011-2012 when Bigger, Stronger, Faster was the theme. Jordan Davis literally is that.

So, just go get that, and bring him here, and kick start this thing off right.

Go Hawks!

Dear Seattle Seahawk Fan,

Predicting what these Seahawks will do during the draft is a fool’s errand. Therefore, what I am attempting here is probably sillier than the Dumb and Dumber dudes on a mescaline bender inside a bouncy house listening to the Scissor Sisters.

But that said, I have a quasi Jedi sense on what I thinks going to happen with these Seahawks over the three day span of the draft, and if I’m wrong, well, I’ve just been watching too much of the Star Wars Rebels series in preparation of the Obi Won Kenobi show starting on May 25th (should have been set for May 4th, duh).

So, here we go. Here is my final bold prediction mock draft for these 2022 Seattle Seahawks.

With the 9th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks trade with the Minnesota Vikings

The Vikings want to make a splash on their defense and trade up for Jordan Davis, and I will scream in agony (Davis is who I want Seattle to draft more than anyone else). Minnie sends Seattle picks 12 and 77, so there’s that.

With the 12th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Trevor Penning, Offensive Tackle, Northern Iowa

There’s a lot of growing buzz around Penning to Seattle lately, and I can see why. He’s a huge tackle prospect, and he possesses crazy athleticism, and a plays with nasty edge. It’s worth noting that, with Andy Dickerson now coaching the line for Seattle from the Rams, there could be a shift in what Seattle now wants at offensive tackle. The Rams use taller tackles, and last year, Seattle drafted 6-8 Stone Forsythe as a developmental guy. Penning fits this profile with considerable more elite traits. Why am I confident that Seattle is about to make him their next starting left tackle? Pro Football Focus graded his run blocking last year at 99.9, the highest number that they have ever given a player, ever.

Trade Alert!

At pick 25, the Buffalo Bills trade their first rounder to the Seattle Seahawks for picks 40 and 72. Hmmm.. Seattle sees someone they love in this draft that they need to get back into round round for.

With the 25th Pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seahawks Seahawks select Matt Corral, Quarterback, Ole Miss

Like Penning, there has been a steady buzz connecting Matt Corral with the Seattle Seahawks. I can see the reasons. His ultra quick release and athleticism makes him a good fit for the quick passing attack that Shane Waldron wants to run. The fact that over sixty percent of his passes came off of play action last year is a big tell. His college coach is Lane Kiffen, who is very close with Pete Carroll. He went to a high school in California that Pete Carroll is highly connected with. He models his game after Aaron Rodgers who is probably John Schneider’s favorite quarterback. I actually think it’s possible that he’s QB1 for this team, and I almost feel stronger about him being a Seahawk than I do Penning.

With the 41st pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks trade with the Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs want to move up to grab a prize safety and they trade to Seattle picks 50, 103, and 233. By trading back from 41 to 50, Seattle gets a late third round pick and another seventh rounder. In a deep draft, this is attractive enough.

With the 50th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Abraham Lucas, Offensive tackle, Washington State

I just got a hunch that Seattle is going to be aggressive attacking offensive line in this draft, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they want to come out of this draft with two starting offensive tackles. I think Lucas is a highly underrated dude. He’s a good mover and pass blocker. They met with Lucas at the combine, and he’s a stated fan of the team. If they want him, I don’t think he will be there in round three. Might as well grab him here if he’s available.

With the 77th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Leo Chenal, Linebacker, Wisconsin

Seahawks have a definite need at linebacker, and Clint Hurtt was promoted to coach up a more aggressive style defense. Chenal fits the mold of being aggressive, and he’s a very effective blitzer. What I really love about Chenal is his willingness to mix is up with guards and centers. He will need work as a coverage guy, but I can see Seattle being very attracted to his style on the whole, and I think he likely brings a level of bad ass that this defense frankly needs. I wouldn’t be upset with this pick. Dave Wyman will love him.

With the 103rd pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Jalyn Armour-Davis, Cornerback, Alabama

I see Seattle taking a cornerback in this draft, and I think day two is likely. I think Armour-Davis is going to be a guy that they will likely target. He has a physical profile that they like, plays an aggressive style that they probably want, and he was coached by Karl Scott who is Seattle’s new secondary coach. I see a lot of dots connecting him to the Seahawks.

With the 109th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Daemon Pierce, Running Back, Florida

Seahawks are going to draft a running back out of this draft. It’s a certain. The question is how soon? My hunch is that they don’t wait longer than this pick right here, and I think Daemon Pierce has a running style that screams Pete Carroll football. He’s physical, he’s got decent speed and is hard to bring down, and he can catch the rock out of the backfield. He would be a great competent to Rashaad Penny, especially if Chris Carson can’t play this year. He feels like a Seahawk runner.

With the 145th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Michael Clemons, Edge Rusher, Texas A&M

Seahawks passed on edge rushers early to fill bigger needs at other spots but will feel great about taking this guy here. Clemons was a good player for A&M. I think his floor if pretty good. He will be an NFL player for years, likely. At this stage, Seattle is probably happy to pick him up for the depth he can provide with a chance at developing as a starter down the road.

With the 153rd Pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Alec Lindstrom, Center, Boston College

I’m sure at some point in this draft, Seattle would love to pick up a developmental center who they think has a chance to be a good one in their zone blocking scheme. Like, Clemons, Lindstrom is a player with some decent refined qualities. I think he has a decent floor. I also think center is a position that you can sometimes find guys in later rounds to bring along. In round five, I’d be good about taking this guy, and I think Seattle would be too.

With the 229th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Max Borghi, Running Back, Washington State

I am connecting Borghi to the Seahawks to compete for the third down back gig, and I think Seattle has followed him closely. He’s a scrappy dude who isn’t shy about contact, and is a really good receiver out of the backfield. I also think he’d be a pretty willing special teamer. I suspect that Seattle is into him. This would be a really fun pick for the fans.

With the 223rd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Jalen Nailor, Wide Receiver, Michigan State

Pete Carroll is always looking for the down field threats and at this stage in the draft, taking a flyer on Nailor feels like a smart move. He’s a shifty dude who averaged over 17 yards per catch last year, and he carried out of the backfield some. For me, I see him as a backup to what they want out of Dee Eskridge, and a likely fifth receiver candidate.

Thoughts about Trevor Penning taken first and adding Abraham Lucas round two

With no Duane Brown or Brandon Shell on this roster right now, the Seahawks are terrifyingly thin at offensive tackle with unproven Stone Forsythe at left tackle, and Jake Curhan at right tackle. Curhan showed some promise late last season, but he might ultimately be a better guard than a tackle in this league.

Trevor Penning makes sense on a lot of levels, as stated above. He’s got size and elite athleticism, and he’s known to be a very hard worker who loves passionately football. I think he also had some pretty good games against bigger programs last year that got NFL scouts excited about his potential. I wouldn’t hate this pick. That 99.9 run blocking grade from PFF gets my juices flowing, and I’m sure it does for Seattle, as well.

Abraham Lucas makes a TON of sense. It makes sense for Seattle to want to walk out of this draft knowing that they have their bookend tackles nailed down for the next several years.

I think Lucas is a guy that projects as a top level right tackle, and I honestly wouldn’t be upset if he was taken round one. He’s also supposedly a big Seahawks fan, so getting a guy here with his talent, that wants to play for this program, also makes tons of sense.

I will be incredibly happy if the Seahawks walk out of this draft with Abraham Lucas.

Thoughts about the Seahawks trading up for Matt Corral

I’m not a fan of taking a quarterback this year. I don’t know if I’m a fan of taking one next year, as well.

I prefer the Seahawks to trade for Baker Mayfield, sign him to a short extension, and giver him a two year window to establish himself as the franchise quarterback. He’s a proven commodity who has faced and beaten top NFL defenses. When healthy, I think he’s solidly a top fifteen quarterback in the league, and he probably hasn’t reached his ceiling yet as a pro.

I’m also not convinced there is any quarterback in this draft (or even next year’s) who will be any better than Mayfield, so why not just go get Mayfield, and use the top end picks at other positions of need? It just makes too much sense for me not to do it.

That said, I gotta vibe that Seattle wants to draft a quarterback high this year, and have that dude on a rookie deal while they fork over the big bucks to keep DK Metcalf here for the longer haul. I believe this is the plan, and if it is Matt Corral, I will kinda sorta dig that.

He’s the only quarterback of this class that gets my juices flowing. That release of his is next level, and while he was very much a system quarterback in college, I don’t necessarily consider that a bad thing for the Seahawks with their system. I think there’s potentially a very good fit here with him.

It’s also very interesting to me that the quarterback he most emulates is Aaron Rodgers, who slid into the twenties during the 2005 draft because he was viewed by the league as merely a “system quarterback” in college. Apparently, being a system guy didn’t bother John Schneider when he was a key front office person in Green Bay and they selected Rodgers that year.

For me, Matt Corral is essentially Jimmy Garoppolo if Jimmy G was more athletic, and had a better arm. A stronger armed Jimmy G with faster wheels isn’t the worst thing to have as your starting quarterback. In fact, I think that sounds pretty good.

I would say that if there’s one thing about Corral that makes me nervous, it’s his narrow frame. Russell Wilson was a short quarterback and his height hindered him some, but he was a stocky dude who could take punishment. Corral is taller, but he’s super wiry, and I think he’s going to have to learn how to avoid the hits in this league. This is the only thing about him that makes me slightly nervous. Your best ability will always be availability.

But, I like him. If Pete and John love this dude, I’m intrigued.

Final Thoughts

I’m not super stoked about the Seahawks going heavy on offense with this draft, but I’m prepared for it. I would prefer them to stay at 9, and possibly grab Jordan Davis, who I think is destined to become a rare game wrecking defense tackle for years.

But, I see the writings on the wall. Without Duane Brown and Brandon Shell, Seattle’s offensive line looks like a horrific mess. Even if they are both brought back, both positions need to be addressed for the longer haul, and so does center. Therefore, I’m anticipating that they will add at least three O-liners out of this class, and possibly more.

I’m pretty convinced that they will also draft a quarterback high, even though they remain somewhat connected to Baker Mayfield. I kinda think the Mayfield situation might be the fall back plan more than anything else, but we will see. The one thing that I’m certain of is that this team doesn’t want the main quarterback competition to come down to Geno Smith battling Drew Lock, and Jacob Eason. This, I’m sure of.

I also feel strongly that they need to grab a running back, and it might be wishful thinking on my part that they wait until the middle rounds. It could happen much sooner.

I don’t think they’re going to take an edge rusher high. I think the big dollars that they gave to Uchenna Nwosu signals that they know they aren’t going to land a premier edge rusher, and they are prepped to address other big needs with their higher picks. I also suspect that Carlos Dunlap could easily be brought back in for another season after the draft, and next year’s draft looks to be a good one again for defensive linemen and edge defenders.

I think they are going to try to land a stud linebacker and a starting caliber corner. This draft is deep enough at both positions that can probably wait to the third round (if they wanted to), and Seattle has yet to draft a corner higher than round three under Pete Carroll.

So, there it is. There you have it. This is my big bold mock draft prediction.

And we are a few short days away from where I will be completely proven wrong about all of this.

Just go get Baker and draft Jordan Davis.

Go Hawks.

Dear Seattle Seahawk Fan,

Do you miss the days of the Legion Of Boom when they ruled supreme in Seattle?

I do. In fact, I miss them badly, and have for years now. Give me a defense that is stacked with players that I can count in my sleep, and I will sleep restfully every single night.. like a baby.

So, if you are like me in how this roster should be restructured, post Russell Wilson, you are pining for the Seahawks to go defense early, and often in this draft, and this mock is one for you.

Here we go.

With the 9th pick Of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks trade with the Los Angeles Chargers

I feel compelled to keep projecting the Seahawks to trade back in this draft. First, it’s just something that they tend to do, and the other thing is that this is an especially deep draft a small trade back to get another day two pick feels logical for a team with many needs. Here the Chargers move up to take freak of nature defensive tackle Jordan Davis in exchange of picks 17, 79, 123, and 195. Seattle feels confident that they will land a player they love at 17, and the other picks afford them the ability to be flexible later on.

With the 17th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Trent McDuffie, Cornerback, Washington

Seahawks miss out on Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley, but they feel McDuffie is a great fit for what they are now asking their outside corners to do in terms of playing sticky with receivers. While McDuffie lacks the length that Seattle has preferred in the past, he possesses high end athleticism and twitch to stick on receivers, and be disruptive with their routes to allow rushers more time to effect the quarterback. His field awareness is strong against both the pass and run, and he possesses a nastiness to come up and level a ball carrier. This will appeal to Pete Carroll and Clint Hurtt.

With the 40th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Boye Mafe, Edge Rusher, Minnesota

Mafe is a skilled edge rusher. He shined at the Senior Bowl, showing a variety of ways to beat an offensive tackle. His length isn’t quite as long as Seattle has typically sought out, but is on par with Alton Robinson, who they drafted a couple years ago, and in a shift towards more 3-4 looks, Seattle may not be as stringent on those measurements, especially if a skilled guy like Mafe lands to their first second round pick. If he land to pick 40, that’s a home run selection.

With the 41st in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Travis Jones, Defensive Tackle, Connecticut

This pick warms my heart. Seattle could have gone many ways with this pick. Linebacker was there, as was offensive line, and running back, but Seattle chose to make their interior pass rush a richer point of emphasis. Call this the Clint Hurtt effect. Seattle’s new defensive coordinator is a long time defensive line coach, and if you give him the opportunity to add 6-4, 325 lbs of Travis Jones, who freight trained guards and centers all throughout Senior Bowl week, I think he would gladly take that. Jones provides size and strength against the run, and athleticism and quicks to become a reliable interior pass rusher. Shelby Harris and Al Woods are getting up there in age. Getting someone younger with upside behind them feels smart. Jones can probably play nose, 3 technique and 5 tech in this new scheme.

With the 72nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Cole Strange, Guard, Chattanooga

Another Senior Bowl star shows up for the Seahawks’ taking right here. Strange is also an explosive combine tester and will be brought in to challenge Gabe Jackson at left guard. Pro Football Network notes that Strange played well at a small program against bigger program opponents and handled himself well against South Carolina’s Javon Kinlaw, who just so happens to play for the dreaded San Fransisco 49ers. This feels like a smart move.

With the 79th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Cameron Jurgens, Center, Nebraska

This is where the trade back with the Chargers starts to really pay off. Seattle takes an athletic center that they feel is a great fit for their new zone blocking scheme. Again, they could have gone a number of ways here. With Jurgens and Strange, Seattle feels like they fortified the interior of the offensive line for years, and that is a big deal in a division that hosts Aaron Donald. This is a great pick!

With the 109th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Darrian Beavers, Linebacker, Cincinnati

Seattle grabs a versatile linebacker who reminds them a bit of KJ Wright, but can also provide a little more pass rush. Beavers will likely be a middle linebacker in Hurtt’s scheme, but he can be used as a chess piece a bit. He handles the run well, is an able dropper in coverage, and he can rush. Teams that run multiple defensive formations covet guys like this, and going multiple is something that Seattle will probably be doing a lot of with Hurtt calling the shots on defense.

With the 123rd pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Jack Coan, Quarterback, Norte Dame

Seahawks want to add another quarterback to their roster beyond Geno Smith, Drew Lock, and Jacob Eason. In this scenario, they watched the QBs they would have considered in the second round get snatched up in front of them, so they took a guy they liked enough later on. Coan isn’t going to wow anyone, but he looks like a guy who can do just enough of everything to think he can maybe develop into a serviceable NFL starter, in time. He can move around, throw it down field, and lead a drive.

With the 152nd pick in the 2022 draft the Seattle Seahawks select Rasheed Walker, Offensive Tackle, Penn State

I’m stuck on mocking Walker to Seattle. I see him playing as tackle who plays with a nastiness that Carroll likes as a run blocker, and has shown potential as a pass blocker, as well. He could probably compete right away at right tackle but might be thought as a potential left tackle starter, as well. This is a really good value pick and he’s a guy I’m watching for in this draft.

With the 153rd pick in the 2023 draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Dameon Pierce, Running Back, Florida

Seattle finds good value at running back in this draft by staying patient and taking a very physical runner in Pierce, who fits the mold of many runners they’ve had in here in the past. He’s physical, runs through tackles, bounces off defenders, and has just enough athleticism to get by defenders, as well. I liken him to Mike Davis a bit, and I think he has starter potential.

With the 195th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Christopher Allen, Edge Rusher, Alabama

Who doesn’t want a productive edge player off the Alabama defense? Allen can rush and cover and probably adds quality depth to the SAM backer spot. I like Seattle double dipping at edge rush with this pick here.

With the 229th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Max Borghi, Running Back, Washington State

Seattle land a hometown hero with their final pick of this draft. Fans, in general, will love this pick (even Husky fans). Borghi offers third down back potential and can probably be a great special teams player. With Chris Carson’s neck injury a complete unknown as to whether he can even play in 2022, getting two quality backs out of this class feels important. Borghi probably makes Travis Homer a little expendable, but is that a bad thing?

Thoughts about this mock draft

Pete Carroll stated at the end of the season that his number one goal of the off-season was to address his pass rush. He started by moving on from Ken Norton Junior at defensive coordinator to Clint Hurtt, who will coach up a more aggressive style of defense that is inspired by Vic Fangio. In this style of defense, cornerback play is very connected to the pass rush. The scheme calls for corners who can play more aggressively attached to receivers in order to make quarterbacks more hesitant and that buys time for the pass rushers.

Trent McDuffie is that kind of pesty cover guy. He’s likely a big upgrade from what they had in DJ Reed last year in terms of being a top end athlete, as well. If all the top pass rushers are gone by the time Seattle would pick at 9, trading back a bit into the teens to get another third round pick (and change), and this guy feels like a very solid move in helping out this defense. If it weren’t for a guy named Sauce in this draft, I think McDuffie would be talked about more.

With teams jumping on quarterbacks in the late first round and early second, that’s going to help Seattle possibly land a guy like Boye Mafe at 40, who had great production in college, or a guy like Travis Jones, who looks like he can be a big disruptive force inside for years.

If you crave a top end defense in Seattle again, landing McDuffie, Mafe, and Jones is a handsome haul for your Seahawks. They would get three guys filling out critical roles for the pass rush who will be good starters in this league for years. From this angle, this would be a smash draft.

Round three becomes fascinating for me in that, here, Seattle is able to land two of the better interior offensive linemen in the draft who both fit their zone blocking scheme. While on paper, offensive tackle is the bigger need, Seattle decides not to reach, and they take two players who they believe will fortify the interior of their offensive line for years. In a division that has Aaron Donald playing in it, this feels like a solid approach. Getting Strange and Jurgens and bringing back Duane Brown for another year at left tackle doesn’t sound like the worst idea. In fact, I think it sound pretty darn good.

I also think it sounds good to target a good young linebacker who can push Cody Barton inside and potentially become a starter down the line. I like giving Barton a chance to start. I want to see what he’s got given the chance, but I also want some better insurance behind him. Darrian Beavers feels like really good insurance with solid starter potential.

I also really like Seattle double dipping at running back and grabbing Dameon Pierce and Max Borghi, who will offer two very different skill sets to this offense. I like Pierce as insurance to maybe become a bell cow runner in the event Chris Carson can’t play anymore with his neck injury, and I love Borghi as a legit third down running back for this team.

If Seattle doesn’t go quarterback early, I don’t mind them taking a shot on Jack Coan, but if they feel like they want to compete more this year, I think they’d stand a better chance of doing that with Baker Mayfield. I’m not really buying that they are highly intent on giving Drew Lock a chance to win the job, and I don’t think they would be bringing in Desmond Ridder for a visit if they truly felt like Lock has the upside that they are professing. I think Lock is a hedge for another quarterback. In this scenario, Seattle likes Coan enough to draft him here to see if he has enough to challenge Lock and Geno Smith, but it doesn’t prevent them from exploring a Baker Mayfield trade after the draft, either, if her’s still available. I can see Seattle throwing a lot of darts at the board in their attempt at figuring out their next starting quarterback, and drafting Coan would be one dart.

But on the whole, I love this mock draft for the Seahawk defense. Those first three picks are starters in this league, and I think Beavers probably is too. I don’t mind them double dipping with edge rush and taking Christopher Allen later on, either. Taking as many bites at the apple to improve the pass rush, in as many different ways, feel like good approach roster construction.

If I would nit pick this mock, I would actually say that I would have liked them to have taken one more corner, and maybe right around where Jack Coan was taken. This only adds to why I wouldn’t mind them taking a shot at bringing in Baker Mayfield. Spending a mid round pick on a developmental quarterback takes away an opportunity to add another guy at another position of much needed depth.

So, in my opinion, if the Seahawks aren’t fully in on getting one of these quarterbacks at the top end of this draft, if there isn’t that conviction that one of these guys is going to be their next franchise quarterback, I think they should punt on the position all together in this draft, go get Baker, and see what might be there with him. Spend all your picks at other spots of need.

That’s what I would do. We will see what they do in just a couple weeks. Exciting!

Go Hawks.

Dear Seattle Seahawks Fan,

Are you still in the dumpsters and stressed out because of the Russell Wilson trade?

Well, if so, maybe this mock draft article is for you.

In this scenario, I got the Seattle Seahawks telling the hoard of DK Metcalf suiting teams to bugger off, as they plan to sign him to a gigantic extension. Their plan of attack is to pair him with a young quarterback on a rookie contract for the next four to five years.

In last weeks mock draft, I highlighted a scenario where Seattle trades for Baker Mayfield. I think that scenario is still on the table for the team, but I also think it’s possible that it might be a backup plan, if there is a quarterback in this class that they love, and they just want to get ‘their guy” now. This mock draft represents just that.

So, here we go.

With the 9th overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks trade with the Pittsburg Steelers.

The Seattle Seahawks trade back (shocking, I know). In this scenario, the Steelers want to get their guy in quarterback Malik Willis, and they aggressively offer picks 20, 52, 84 and 208 to get their man. Seattle, recognizing that this is an especially deep draft at multiple positions of need, oblige. In my trade value calculator, Seattle actually comes out slightly ahead with this move back to 20.

With the 20th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Matt Corral, Quarterback, Ole Miss.

With this pick, Seattle gets their guy. Matt Corral is a mobile passer with a good enough arm to make every NFL throw. He probably has the best throwing mechanics out of any QB in this class. His release is next level fast, and that’s going to be a big plus for him in Seattle’s offense under Shane Waldron, which now relies, ideally, on a quick passing game. There might be quarterbacks in this draft with higher upside, but he might be the best system fit for what Seattle wants to do now, and that’s why they jump on him here.

With the 40th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Tyler Linderbaum, Center, Iowa

This is an ideal value pick for Seattle. Linderbaum has been thought of as a first round talent, but his measurables are on the smaller side, and because of that, there’s thought he could slide out of the round. I think he’s an ideal fit for their new zone blocking scheme, and he also fits the mold of the tough guys they’ve liked at center before with Justin Britt and Max Unger. If he ends up sliding to 40, I think Seattle would move very quickly to snatch him up, and have Austin Blythe move over to compete at one of the guard spots.

With the 41st pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Kenneth Walker III, Running Back, Michigan State

Pete Carroll trolls hoards of Twelves by taking a running back early, but here, Seattle views Walker as too talented to pass up, and the chance to get a pro bowl caliber running back on a rookie contract to mix in with Corral feels too good to pass up, especially considering the injury histories to Rashaad Penny and Chris Carson. Walker’s a sturdy compact runner who bounces and contorts through contact like a pinball. Seattle can use him anyway they want. They can run him inside, and he has the high end athleticism to hit the outside zones. This is an exciting pick, I think.

With the 52nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Kyler Gordon, Cornerback, Washington

Seahawks get a corner they are high on, as they have been watching Gordon closely at Washington for years. They will love his twitchy athleticism, aggressive coverage style, and his closing burst against the run. In Hurtt’s defense modeled after Vic Fangio’s style, aggressive corners are key, and Gordon fits just that. This is a solid, high floor, day one starter pick.

With the 72nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Leo Chenal, Linebacker, Wisconsin

Chenal is a fascinating athlete who looks like a big throwback thumper. Athletically, he’s a high ceiling guy who’s monster against the run, and an intimidating blitzer. He’s probably a middle linebacker, but at 6-2 250 lbs, it’s not outside the realm of possibilities that he could also see time as an edge rusher on occasion. When I think of this guy, I think of long time Seattle great Chad Brown, who was used as an outside backer, rush end, and a middle linebacker. This guy could be just that, and I love the idea of using him as a blitzer with Jamal Adams in exotic looks, and forcing quarterbacks into a lot of guessing games.

With the 84th pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Arnold Ebiketie, Edge rusher, Penn State

Seattle watched all the premier edge rushers leave the boards in the top six picks of the draft, but felt confident that they could still find some value later on. Ebiketie is just that. He’s got good bend as a rusher and looks like he can convert speed to power with relative ease. He can backup Darrell Taylor and Uchenna Nwosu at the LEO and SAM spots with a decent possibility of working his way into a starting role within a year of two. As a Seahawk fan, I dig the prospects of Taylor, Nwosu, Ebiketie, and Alton Robinson being the young edge rushing rotation for this team.

With the 109th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Rasheed Walker, Offensive Tackle, Penn State

Seahawks go with back to back Nittany Lions by taking Walker, who they think might have potential as a starting left tackle. Walker is a long armed 6-5, 313 pound mauler who plays with bend and leverage as a run blocker and shows up enough as a pass blocker as well. If they like second year player Stone Forsythe’s potential at left tackle more, Walker might be a nice candidate for the starting right tackle position. His play through the whistle style might actually make him a natural guard, as well.

With the 152nd pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Eyioma Uwazurike, Defensive Tackle, Iowa State

Seahawks think they hit gold on a massive interior defensive lineman who they will say that they had a second round grade on. Uwazurike is 6-6 316 lbs of length and strength and has enough athletic traits to play all three interior spots on the DL. He can play 3 technique, Nose, and 5 tech. I wouldn’t be surprised if they try to make him into a Red Byrant as a 5 technique strong side end. This guy has definite two down starter potential. Maybe even more.

With the 153rd pick of the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Cole Strange, Offensive Guard, Chattanooga

Strange is another mid round gem with starter potential. He spent a lot of time at the senior bowl mixing in at center and got better as the week progressed. That shows coach-ability. With Linderbaum drafted to be the starting center, though, expect Strange to perhaps compete at left guard with Gabe Jackson and Phil Haynes, or backup Damien Lewis at right guard.

With the 208th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Amare Barno, Edge Rusher, Virginia Tech

Barno is a freaky combine tester who has a rawness to his game, but is a dude Seattle could see as very much worth the gamble on in later rounds. He could slip onto the final roster if he shows up on special teams, and he could see himself on the field in this defense as a rotational pass rush specialist because he’s so lighting quick.

With the 229th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Jalen Nailor, Wide Receiver, Michigan State

Seahawks jump on a speedy receiver with the last pick of their draft in Nailor who averaged 17 yards per catch in college, and took carries out of the backfield, as well. He could be viewed as valuable depth behind Dee Eskridge as a guy who can stretch the field and also see carries on sweep plays that Waldron will likely want to use more of in his second year as a play caller. This is a smart value pick.

My thoughts on taking Matt Corral with the first pick

Let me say it first off that I’m not a big fan of taking a quarterback in round one. In fact, I’m not a fan at all.

As a Gen X Twelve, I’ve got PTSD residuals from the late 1980’s and early 1990’s when this club spent first round picks on quarterbacks and whiffed on all of them. I watched them trade a first round pick in 1989 for unproven former 6th overall pick Kelly Stouffer, when they still had Dave Krieg in his prime, and Souffer couldn’t beat him out. I then saw them waste a first round pick on Dan McGwire in 1991, and he did jack squat all. I also saw them use the third overall pick in 1993 on Rick Mirer, and he flamed out very quickly.

I have been a diehard Seattle Seahawks fan since 1983. The best quarterbacks, guys who played here for long durations as pro bowl starters, are Dave Krieg who was an un-drafted free agent, Matt Hasselbeck who was a former sixth round pick that the team traded for by swapping first round picks with Green Bay, and Russell Wilson who we all know was a third round pick because nobody really believed that a 5-10 quarterback would ever play to the level that he did in Seattle.

This is our Big Three, and the 1990’s was pretty much a wasted decade of Seahawks football in large part because the team blew first round picks on quarterbacks who ultimately never measured.

If you spend a first round pick on a quarterback who doesn’t pan out, it’s two steps back for your club, and if you are to look at the history of the last decade of NFL football at the percentage of hits on first round quarterbacks versus misses, the misses are overwhelmingly higher than the hits. It’s actually very stunning.

For these reasons, this is why I remain in favor of Seattle trading for Baker Mayfield, and seeing what they would have with him by extending him to a reasonable two year deal. He’s young enough, has had a couple good seasons in this league when healthy, and I am willing to give his 2021 season a mulligan because the torn shoulder injury he gutted through. In 2020, he was a top ten quarterback in efficiency, and was the sixth best deep ball passer by the league’s own advanced metrics.

Therefore, Mayfield has shown an ability to play in this league in ways that would appeal to Pete Carroll, I would think. If the price to acquire him isn’t steep, I think he’s worth a shot here to see if he can be the guy moving forward. That’s my own personal view.

That all said, I think there are a lot of things about Matt Corral that would appeal to Carroll, as well, and on the NFL’s own site, they actually comp him to none other than Baker Mayfield. He’s got a feisty playing style like Mayfield, for sure, and has a similar physical stature (although he’s slightly taller), but I also think he’s different.

I think he’s an overall better athlete than Mayfield, and that lighting quick release of his is crazy good. I envision that he would excel with running back screens, and hitting DK Metcalf on quick slants over the middle (two things that Russell Wilson, in ten seasons, never quite mastered).

If I were to comp him to any NFL quarterback, it would be to Jimmy Garoppolo, if Jimmy G was a much better athlete with a stronger arm. That’s actually not a terrible quarterback to have.

Like Mayfield, Carroll will love Corral’s competitive fire, but I think what he will love more is his how committed he is with his footwork and throwing mechanics. Corral has said that the quarterback he emulates the most is Aaron Rodgers and has studied closely how he throws accurately from different angles, getting the ball off quickly. This shows up in Corral’s tape.

He plays the position just like a point guard, and that is going to be a HUGE PLUS for Pete Carroll. This could be the single biggest reason to believe that he could be QB1 for this team.

So, with all that, I get why Seattle might be inclined to draft this guy with their first pick, and while I am not in favor of taking a quarterback with the first pick, if John Schneider believes in one of these quarterbacks enough to take them with that pick, I kinda feel inclined to trust him a bit more. I think one of Schneider’s best traits as a GM is identifying quarterback talent.

I would also say that, if they do hang onto DK Metcalf, and draft one of these guys, that quarterback is going to come into Seattle with some pretty awesome targets to throw at with DK, Tyler Lockett, and Noah Fant. That’s a signifcantly better situation than Zach Wilson had with the Jets, and Trevor Lawrence had with the Jaguars last year, and if Seattle brings back Duane Brown and Brandon Shell for another year, the offensive line, at the very least, should serve as functional.

Many people are saying how Seattle is going to be a miserable team in 2022, but will they, if they make these moves?

Can this actually be a situation more ideally set up for a rookie quarterback than folks are giving credit?

In my mind, it’s not the craziest thought that Matt Corral could actually be walking into a situation in Seattle where he exceeds expectations faster than people are thinking, if he wins the starting job outright. Just some food for thought.

Thoughts about the rest of this draft.

This mock, if anything, is a good exercise to see how the draft might land for Seattle if they traded back from 9, grabbed enough picks to make it feel justified, and actually did take a quarterback they believe in with the first selection.

It feels like there is potential for some really good things to happen down the line. Everything I read says this is an especially deep draft, and the eleven players drafted in this mock feels like the right number that Seattle would love to come out with to fill out their roster.

A good player like Tyler Linderbaum could land in their lap at 40, and if he’s not there, a really good guard or tackle prospect could be there. Seattle could get a really good offensive linemen at 40 and they could probably also grab one at 41, as well, if they wanted to get greedy. Maybe instead of a quality center, they land a really good guard prospect and a right tackle one, as well.

I think that this is also a really good running back and linebacker draft, and I can practically guarantee that Seattle will be drafting both positions out of this class because it’s so loaded.

At 72, I had a choice of many linebackers in the draft simulator I used, and I chose a guy who I thought brought a unique style to his game. Leno Chenal feels like an enforcer, and I think this defense needs a guy (or two) who will play nasty like that. In a shift towards more 3-4, you want bad asses playing middle linebacker, and guys who will mash it up with guards. Chenal feels like that style of player. He’s a total throwback in that way.

I also think that Kyler Gordon is a guy that they will be interested in at corner, and they might feel compelled to take a guy like Eyioma Uwazurike much earlier than I projected with this mock. He’s a big physical DT type that Carroll has always been drawn towards and could have immediate impact on the DL.

Overall, I really dig this mock. If Seattle took Corral early and they walked away with these players, I’d consider it an impressive haul. This feels like a draft that a solid new foundation can be built on, and next year, Seattle will have two first round picks where they could address left tackle and pass rush again, if they wanted.

When I look at it this way, I can warm more towards taking a quarterback early, even though that still scares the absolute living crap out of me.

Go Hawks.