Seahawks predicted to gamble on unheralded QB prospect in Round 4

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The Seattle Seahawks are pretty loaded at the quarterback position heading into the 2025 NFL draft. After re-signing Drew Lock last week, there are now four quarterbacks on the roster - five if you include John Rhys-Plumlee, who's listed as a wide receiver.
We know that Sam Darnold is going to be the Week 1 starter barring injury and we can reasonably infer that Lock will be the team's No. 2 option in the backfield. The rest of the depth chart is somewhat up for grabs, especially since the team is currently shopping QB3 Sam Howell around the league.
The latest reporting from Adam Schefter at ESPN suggests the Seahawks will be open to picking a quarterback at some point in the draft this weekend, but only if they can manage to find a trade partner for Howell. Most likely Seattle will be targeting a developmental prospect on Day 3 rather than one of their second-tier QBs that have frequently been connected to them like Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe or Tyler Shough.
A new seven-round mock draft from CBS Sports has the Seahawks rolling the dice on one of those Day 3 prospects. With the 137th overall pick in the fourth round Seattle takes Syracuse quarterback Kyle McCord.
Seahawks GM John Schneider has made it clear he prefers aggressive quarterbacks over the years and McCord (6-foot-3, 218 pounds) definitely qualifies in this department. The scouting report on McCord likes his pre-snap recognition, pocket movement, quick release and a "nasty" deep ball, but the rest of his game is a work in progress.
The negatives include a lack of athleticism and mechanics that break down under pressure - which would obviously be a problem playing behind the worst offensive line in the NFL.
After playing three years at Ohio State - mostly as a backup - McCord transferred to Syracuse for his senior season. He posted an ACC-best 4,779 passing yards and 34 touchdowns, but he also led the conference with 12 interceptions.
If the Seahawks do draft McCord (assuming they trade Howell) he woud likely project as the new No. 3 option, one spot below Drew Lock and one above Jaren Hall.
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Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.