Seahawks’ Pete Carroll Says Team Could Draft QB With No. 5 Pick

It’s been nearly a year since the Seahawks traded quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos, drastically altering the trajectories of both franchises. Seattle found its new quarterback in Geno Smith, who was named the NFL’s Comeback Player of the Year and just signed a new three-year contract worth up to $105 million. The Broncos, meanwhile, had an abysmal year and, as part of the Wilson trade, sent their 2023 first-round pick to Seattle.

Despite all of these developments, don’t rule out the possibility of the Seahawks using that pick acquired from Denver to select another quarterback in the 2023 NFL draft.

That’s what head coach Pete Carroll said while making an appearance on the Rich Eisen Show on Wednesday. When asked about his team’s plans for the No. 5 pick, Carroll made it clear all options are on the table.

“This is such a rare opportunity,” Carroll said. “We’ve been here for 13, 14 years. We’ve only had one other time where we’ve picked in the top 10. … Now that we do, [picking a quarterback] is certainly top of mind, and we’re going to watch how this happens.”

Watch the Seahawks with fuboTV. Start your free trial today.

Eisen asked Carroll specifically about Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson, who wowed coaches and scouts at the NFL scouting combine with his athleticism. However, Richardson is viewed by some talent evaluators as needing more time to learn and polish his skills before he’s ready to be an NFL starter. Carroll was complimentary of Richardson and described the overall 2023 quarterback draft class as “really impressive.”

The Seahawks, who went 9-8 last season and lost to the 49ers in the wild-card round, also have the No. 20 pick in the draft.