Could Seahawks Find Their Own Patrick Mahomes in 2025 NFL Draft?

Winning three Super Bowls and two MVP awards in eight NFL seasons, it may be hard to believe Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes wasn't the most coveted quarterback prospect in the 2017 NFL Draft.
But despite turning in a strong college career at Texas Tech, Mahomes wasn't the most highly touted signal caller in the 2017 class. Instead, the Bears invested the second overall pick in North Carolina standout Mitch Trubisky, and another quarterback didn't hear his name called until the Chiefs traded up to nab Mahomes, surprising some given the fact veteran Alex Smith remained under contract and Andy Reid's squad had won 12 games in the previous season.
Kansas City paid a heavy price to move up from pick No. 27 into the top 10, dealing away the late first round selection along with a third-round pick and a 2018 first-round pick. But by the end of the 2017 season, But after losing a 22-21 heartbreaker to Tennessee in the wild card round, the franchise traded Smith to Washington and plugged Mahomes into the starting lineup, only for him to toss 50 touchdown passes in his first full season as a starter and win a Super Bowl one year later.
It wasn't the first time that an NFL organization has rolled the dice investing a first round pick in a quarterback of the future despite already having a quality veteran starter in place. Much to Aaron Rodgers' chagrin, Green Bay selected Jordan Love with the 26th overall pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, paving the way for a change of the guard under center only three years later. The same franchise did that by picking Rodgers with Brett Favre on the roster in 2005.
Now in the midst of their first full offseason working in tandem, Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and general manager John Schneider may find themselves in the same position the Chiefs and Packers were in those previous instances heading towards the 2025 season.
Since taking over as the starting quarterback for Russell Wilson in 2022, Geno Smith has led Seattle to a winning record in each of the past three seasons, throwing 71 touchdown passes and completing north of 68 percent of his passes. But as he enters the final year of his current contract, he has only led the team to one playoff berth, and with his 35th birthday approaching next season, his future with the franchise has been a hot button topic in recent weeks.
Though beloved in the locker room and respected by both Macdonald and Schneider, Smith carries a $44.5 million cap hit for next season after earning an additional $6 million in escalators in a season-ending win over the Rams earlier this month. That currently ranks as the seventh-largest cap hit among quarterbacks next season and after throwing 15 interceptions this past season, including a league-worst five in the red zone, that price tag may be more than the Seahawks want to pay.
This isn't to say that Seattle doesn't want Smith back in 2025 or even 2026. Macdonald acknowledged in his final press conference that while the decision would not be his to make, he wants "Geno to be here," believing his presence remaining under center would be the best bet for the team for at least next season.
But just as the Chiefs and Packers did with Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers, Schneider and Macdonald have to look at the current state of their roster with an eye on the future at the most important position in sports. While drafting a quarterback early in April could ruffle some feathers, such a move shouldn't be taken as personal by Smith if the Seahawks opt to go that direction, as smart organizations bring young signal callers on board to develop.
Both Smith and Rodgers started at least one season after Kansas City and Green Bay drafted Mahomes and Love, so there is still a precedent for drafting a quarterback and letting him learn on the sideline before turning the offense over to him. Even New England used a similar strategy years ago drafting Jimmy Garoppolo as a potential successor for Tom Brady, and though he never took over as the starter, they traded him to San Francisco for a second-round pick to recoup an asset.
Considering both of those scenarios, it would make a ton of sense for Seattle to finally invest a draft pick in a quarterback, something Schneider has not done since 2018 and only twice in 15 years at the helm. This year's class lacks star power at the position, but there are several players who could rise up draft boards enough to be in the first round discussion, opening the door for the franchise to move up from No. 18 if they fall in love with a prospect.
While Colorado's Shadeur Sanders and Miami's Cam Ward likely will be long gone before the Seahawks could even think about trading up as the Chiefs did nearly nine years ago, Texas' Quinn Ewers and Ole Miss' Jaxson Dart could be prime candidates to soar up draft boards as the third and fourth quarterback from this year's class and be identified as a potential heir apparent for Smith.
Once the top prospect in the country, Ewers began his college career at Ohio State before transferring to Texas, where he immediately became the starter running Steve Sarkisian's offense in 2022. In three seasons under center for the Longhorns, he threw for 9,128 yards and 68 touchdowns while averaging eight yards per attempt, leading the program to the College Football Playoff twice.
Though a capable deep ball passer, Ewers plays at his best when he can unload the football quickly in a timing-based scheme. Last season, he tossed 10 touchdowns and averaged 7.9 yards per attempt on throws traveling fewer than 10 yards, getting the ball out to his playmakers in space to let them do damage after the catch.
Turnovers have been a bit of an issue for the 6-3, 206-pound Ewers, as he threw 12 interceptions this past season and posted a 2.7 percent interception rate. Displaying a penchant for trying to do too much and hold onto the ball in the pocket, he took 33 sacks last season, leaving himself exposed to take big hits. This has led to a few minor injuries, though he still managed to play in 36 total games over the past three seasons in Austin.
Still, Ewers has the arm talent to succeed in the right system in the NFL and by all accounts, he has been the perfect leader on and off the field at Texas. If he tests well and impresses in meetings during the pre-draft process, he easily could vault into the third quarterback spot in this class, opening the door for him to be selected earlier than anticipated.
Like Ewers, Dart started his career with one of college football's blue blood programs, playing in nine games as a freshman at USC before opting to transfer to Oxford. Installed as a day one starter for the Rebels, he put up outstanding numbers over the past three seasons, throwing for 4,279 yards and 29 touchdowns with a near 70 percent completion rate in 2024.
As far as strengths go, Dart showed off his arm strength as one of the nation's most prolific deep ball passers, completing 17 touchdown passes last season traveling more than 20 yards in the air, the most by any quarterback at the FBS level. He also has the athletic ability to do damage on designed runs and as a scrambler, rushing for at least 568 yards each of the past three seasons and 12 combined rushing touchdowns.
But Dart currently has been pegged as a day two or even day three selection in April's draft due to a few highlighted red flags in his play. When under pressure, he has struggled quite a bit throughout his college career, including completing just 46 percent of his passes with four touchdowns and three interceptions when under duress this season. He also can be a slow processor, becoming fixated on his first read and not consistently being capable of throwing receivers open with anticipation when they are not schemed open in space.
Looking at the strengths of both young quarterbacks, Ewers and Dart have enough traits and upside to warrant a close look from teams seeking help at quarterback. But they also appear to have significant development that must come to fruition first, making them ideal candidates to land with a team where they won't be asked to play early.
Over the next several months, players such as Ewers and Dart will be auditioning for a higher draft slot at the NFL combine, pro day workouts, and during meetings with prospective teams. It's anyone's guess where they will ultimately be selected, as much could change between now and late April.
In the case of the Seahawks, just as the Chiefs and Packers did with Alex Smith and Rodgers, it would behoove them to extend Geno Smith for at least one or two more seasons to provide stability under center while also preparing for the future by looking for a young quarterback to groom behind him. While it remains to be seen whether that prospect will emerge for Schneider and Macdonald in a weaker draft class at the position, Ewers and Dart stand out as two players to watch closely on that front.
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