Will Seahawks draft QB in 1st round? A look at what it might take

Mar 11, 2024, 2:07 PM

J.J. McCarthy of Michigan participates in a drill during the 2024 NFL combine. (Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

Next month’s NFL Draft could be the Seattle Seahawks’ chance to pick a promising quarterback, and Seattle Sports’ Brock Huard has made it clear he has a name in mind for the team.

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Huard, a FOX football analyst and former NFL QB himself, has been a proponent of the Seahawks making a push for Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy in the draft, even saying they should do “whatever it takes” to get him. Is that really something the Hawks could do, though?

On Monday’s edition of Brock and Salk, Huard’s co-host Mike Salk talked to draft analyst Lance Zierlein of NFL Media about if McCarthy landing with the Hawks is plausible.

Zierlein’s verdict is that it would take a lot of work for Seahawks general manager/president of football operations John Schneider, whose first pick this year isn’t until No. 16 overall, to trade up to a spot to get a QB of McCarthy’s stature.

“If you are the Seahawks, who are sitting there at 16, that’s a lot of teams you have to jump (to draft a quarterback),” Zierlein said. “… The jump up is going to have to be, worst-case scenario, I think the 10th spot … It’s going to be a pretty heavy jump up the board and it’s going to be an expensive one, so I just don’t know that Schneider would be willing to do that.”

What’s in the way?

“(You have to) hope that the Giants don’t take quarterback, that they go offensive line (at No. 6),” Zierlein said. “… You have the Bears at nine, and would the Bears be willing to move, in this scenario, from nine to 16? Because you also have the Jets at 10 that could be in play. But once you get to the Vikings at 11, you’re cooked. I would imagine they would take a quarterback in a heartbeat.”

OK, quarterback in the first round may not be realistic. What should the Seahawks do with their first pick, then?

“Olumuyiwa Fashanu, the tackle from Penn State,” Zierlein said. “I said they could use a pass rusher, but they really need help with the offensive line. So here’s the thing: if you need a tackle, you’re going to have to get one in the first round. I think there’s going to be a run on tackles. I know John Schneider loves to trade back when he has the opportunity to, (but) I don’t know if that’s the spot you really want to trade back at. I think that looking at pass rush or looking at offensive line should be something that should be at the forefront of what Seattle is trying to do. I’m not looking at quarterback if I’m Seattle, at least not at that particular spot.”

You can hear the full Brock and Salk conversation with NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post.