After an impressive bounce back season, Geno Smith has signed a lucrative contract extension with the Seattle Seahawks. The new deal will keep the Pro Bowl quarterback in Seattle until the 2025 season. After years of wandering around in the NFL, Smith has finally found the team for him.
However, with Geno Smith's new contract comes a lot of questions for the Seahawks' plans in the NFL Draft and in free agency. The draft strategy of Seattle is particularly intriguing, given their fascination for a particular quarterback whose stock is rising. If these rumors are true, should John Schneider, Pete Carroll, and the front office pivot in a new direction? Or should they stay the course?
Seahawks' 2023 NFL draft overview
Despite making it to the playoffs in 2022, the Seahawks actually have TWO first-round picks (one of which is a top-5 pick). Their top-5 selection comes from the Broncos as part of the infamous Russell Wilson trade. Denver's awful season allowed Seattle to continue fighting for a playoff spot last season while still building for the future. In addition, Seattle has another first-round pick (#20), two more second-round picks (#37 and 52) and other various late-round picks.
Most of the talk surrounding the Seahawks' NFL draft plans involve this prized top-5 selection. The common thought amongst experts is that Seattle should draft Bryce Young or CJ Stroud if either of them falls to No. 5. However, it was recently rumored that the team is among the many parties interested in Florida star quarterback Anthony Richardson. With Smith returning to the roster, should the Seahawks still draft the intriguing prospect with their fifth pick?
Seattle should draft Anthony Richardson
It's important to preface this by saying that this is not an indictment of Geno Smith's play. The quarterback became a bona fide star for the Seahawks last season. Smith wasn't only part of a winning team in Seattle: he was actively the reason for their success. His improvement as a passer was key to Seattle bouncing back after an awful year.
That being said, Smith isn't exactly a spring chicken. At 32 years old, there's always the danger that the Seahawks QB's production would fall off over the next two years or so. There's also the possibility of Smith's bounce-back year being a flash in the pan (though one could argue his play last year was not fueled by unsustainable play). Having a backup plan could never hurt for Pete Carroll and co. Anthony Richardson is the perfect backup plan for the Seahawks, should he fall to them in the draft.
Pete Carroll has long been enamored by physical freaks at the quarterback position. Last season, the Seahawks coach spoke about his ideal quarterback, and he mentioned Carson Palmer. Coming out of college, Palmer was projected as a dual-threat QB by NFL Draft analysts similar to Josh Allen today. He had the cannon arm and the body to be a danger both in the passing attack and in the run game.
Now take that archetype, and amplify his physical tools by about 200%. That's who Anthony Richardson is. Everyone knew that the Florida star was an athletic freak. His NFL Draft Combine showing exceeded expectations, showing off in almost every category. He has the potential to become the next great star quarterback for the Seahawks (or any team that drafts him).
Richardson is by no means a perfect draft prospect, though (no one truly is). Out of all of the QBs in the NFL draft, the Florida signal-caller is the most “raw”, so to speak. He has a gorgeous deep ball, but his accuracy can be hit-or-miss. Richardson also struggles in the pocket even back in college, and that's certainly going to be a problem in the pros. He would benefit from sitting behind a veteran QB like Geno Smith and learning the ropes of running an NFL offense from the bench. A “redshirt year” in the pros would also allow Seattle to work on some of Richardson's sketchy mechanics away from the limelight.
One could certainly argue that the Seahawks should instead spend their fifth-overall pick in the NFL draft to take a high-profile defender. That has a lot of merit, for sure. Their glut of picks this draft (and Seattle's stellar draft history) show that the team can still find talented game-changer in the later rounds. Star CB Tariq Woolen was taken in the fifth round last year. Kenneth Walker II is a second-round pick.
It's rare for a team to be able to toe the line between playoff contention and rebuilding. Drafting Anthony Richardson in the NFL draft allows the Seahawks to do exactly that. They can give Richardson the time he needs to become the star QB that he can be.
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