According to Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, there is an early leader in the quarterback competition between veterans Drew Lock and Geno Smith.

In an interview on KJR, via Gregg Bell of The News Tribune, Waldron would indicate that Geno Smith is the current leader in the clubhouse to win the Seahawks' starting quarterback duties.

“Right now, Geno has done such a good job of carrying over (the offensive principles from 2021). He already had a head start over Drew right there,” Waldron said. “We have a long time to go. We are just in T-shirts and shorts right now, going against air. We have a long way to go to see where this competition (goes).”

Waldron's comments supported the declaration by Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll last week that Smith was “automatically” ahead in the competition.

“Drew has a good, calm presence in the huddle out there, (things) we saw in the last three games of his rookie year,” Waldron said. “The thing I like about Drew is, really, his ability to make every throw on the field. The way he moves and he changes his arm angle and doesn’t have to be just a (static) pocket passer out there.”

The 25-year-old Lock, who came over from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade, was 8-13 in his 21 starts for the Broncos, completing 59.3 percent of his passes for 4,740 yards with 25 touchdowns and 20 interceptions. Smith, whose last season as a full-time starter was in 2014, was 11-18 over the course of two seasons as the New York Jets starting quarterback.