Jalen Milroe chasing Sam Darnold gives Seahawks 'fascinating situation' at QB

For a long time Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider talked about the strategy of picking quarterbacks in the NFL draft before your team needs them - something the Green Bay Packers have become famous for. However, in practice Schneider never really followed through, the lone exception being Russell Wilson in 2012 - unless you count the seventh-rounder they used on Alex McGough, which doesn't qualify as a potential franchise QB pick.

Along the way the Seahawks have reportedly been extremely interested in several traits-based prospects who have gone on to become superstars, including Josh Allen and Patrick Mahomes. Schneider finally got the loaded-with-attributes developmental QB he's been looking for in the third round of last weekend's draft, taking Jalen Milroe out of Alabama at No. 92 overall.

The pick gives Seattle critical depth at quarterback and takes a lot of the pressure regarding this team's future off the continued development of Sam Darnold. It also gives them the most-interesting dynamic of any quarterback room in the NFL right now.

While Eric Edholm at NFL.com doesn't seem to think the Seahawks had a great offseason (he has them slotted at No. 19 in his post-draft power rankings) but he is intrigued by the QB situation.

NFL.com on 'fascinating' Seahawks QB situation

"...the Jalen Milroe pick, in particular, added a big dash of seasoning to the mix. Sam Darnold received some pretty good reinforcements to help his chances of succeeding, but he also got pressure with Milroe's arrival. Milroe is a good enough runner to see the field immediately, and Darnold should know he has to stack a season's worth of strong showings to avoid losing his job long-term. Fascinating situation up there for a team that was remarkably hot and cold last season and let a playoff spot slip through its fingers."

However this drama between Darnold and Milroe plays out over the next few years, there will be one common denominator that has a huge impact on their success.

Yes, the Seahawks added a freaky athlete and defensive chess piece in Nick Emmanwori, yes they strengthened their QB room in a big way with Milroe, and yes they added pieces they needed at tight end, wide receiver and defensive tackle.

All that being said, it won't amount to much if Seattle's offensive line isn't dramatically improved from what we saw last season. Grey Zabel gives them one major upgrade at left guard, but center and right guard are still pretty massive holes up front - and the Seahawks definitely can't trust that Abe Lucas can play a full season at right tackle.

If this OL continues to struggle after Schneider basically passed on the free agent class and then only made one pick to invest in this unit before Day 3 - there's a strong case to make that Schneider is what's holding this team back from reaching contender status again.

Assuming the offensive line is only marginally improved or somehow manages to get worse in 2025, Schneider should be given one more year to figure things out and then it will be time for a change if no real development gets done.

NFL.com on 'fascinating' Seahawks QB situation

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