Seahawks Give Drew Lock Vote of Confidence Punting on Quarterbacks in 2022 NFL Draft

Hours after the Seahawks blockbuster trade sending Russell Wilson to the Broncos became official on March 16, general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll gave ringing endorsements of incoming quarterback Drew Lock.

Having scouted Lock extensively coming out of Missouri during the pre-draft process in 2019, Schneider lauded him for possessing a "hose" of a throwing arm and underrated athleticism. Referencing his performance in five starts as a rookie, Carroll told reporters he still believes the 6-foot-4, 228-pound signal caller can be an effective game manager, even going as far as saying Seattle could win a championship with him under center.

“If he plays like he did early on I think we’ve got a shot," Carroll said at the time. "You go back to his first year when he was balling as a rookie, when he was 4-1, his third-down numbers were terrific. Taking care of the football really well. For whatever reason… the coordinator left after that time, times changed for him, and he didn’t play to that same level. So exactly what we have evaluated, the process that we evaluated, he showed. John [Schneider] stayed with it and followed him all the way through his career, and we’ve watched it happen. We think he’s still that guy and so we’ll see."

Of course, many experts, reporters, and fans alike viewed these comments as little more than press conference fodder. How could the Seahawks put such faith in a quarterback who led the NFL in interceptions in 2020 and lost his starting job to Teddy Bridgewater prior to the 2021 season?

But despite being linked to several quarterbacks heading into the 2022 NFL Draft, most notably bringing Desmond Ridder in for a top-30 visit earlier this month, Seattle surprisingly didn't pick one at all. With Ridder, Liberty's Malik Willis, North Carolina's Sam Howell, and Mississippi's Matt Corral all still available, they bypassed on two opportunities to draft one with back-to-back picks in the second round, instead drafting EDGE defender Boye Mafe and running back Kenneth Walker III.

Then in the third round, with all four quarterbacks still available, Schneider said "no thanks" again, doubling up at tackle by selecting Abraham Lucas at No. 72 overall. Ridder, Willis, and Corral all heard their names called later in the round, but Howell remained available when the Seahawks picked in the fourth round at No. 109 and they wound up drafting Cincinnati cornerback Coby Bryant.

Even in the later rounds when players such as Nevada's Carson Strong remained available, Schneider kept punting on quarterbacks, instead attacking major needs fortifying the offensive line, pass rush, secondary, and special teams. In the process, Seattle made quite the statement reaffirming their true commitment to Lock and Geno Smith in 2022.

"It's hard for rookies. It's very hard on rookies to come in here and you have to have unique, unique qualities," Schneider said after the conclusion of the draft on Saturday. "But it just, continuously throughout the draft we, it didn't, it just didn't fall the right way for one reason or another and we just, we've agreed to terms with somebody here as a rookie free agent that we're really excited about."

That undisclosed undrafted rookie Schneider mentioned happens to be Louisiana's Levi Lewis, an athletic left-handed quarterback who led the Ragin' Cajuns to a 12-1 record in 2021. While on the small side at 5-foot-10, 184 pounds, he has a fairly strong arm and completed 61 percent of his passes with more than 10,000 all-purpose yards and 14 rushing touchdowns in his college career.

Lewis could be a fun developmental quarterback for the Seahawks given his athleticism and dual-threat capabilities, but as an undrafted signee, he's obviously not a threat to battle for a roster spot at this point. At best, he likely will be on the practice squad to allow the coaching staff time to work with him.

As things stand, Carroll and Schneider don't have to name a starter for several months. They trust Smith, who played well in three starts replacing an injured Wilson last year, and his knowledge of offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's scheme gives him a clear edge when Seattle returns to the practice field this week for phase two of the offseason program. Jacob Eason, who joined the team off waivers last season, could be a wild card to watch given his physical tools.

“The competition is underway," Carroll said on Friday. "Geno [Smith] has come in and is obviously ahead going in because he’s had all the background with us. He’s been with us for a number of years. He leads the charge right now. He’s in command of our system as much as a guy could be. [Jacob Eason] had a year with us so he’s doing his part. Meanwhile we’re watching how Drew [Lock] comes along and he’s going. He’s busting his tail to catch up and be right with it. All of our guys we know are strong-armed throwers. We will not lack in the potential of our throwing game, the style and the things that we can do."

But while Carroll will preach competition as always, the ball has been put in Lock's court to make the most of his second life in the NFL. In terms of talent, he has the live arm and pocket mobility to still be a quality starter and by opting not to bring in a rookie to compete against him, Schneider and Carroll's comments from more than a month ago ring true. They believe having weapons like DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett around him in a run-centric West coast scheme tailored to his strengths will give him a great chance to succeed where he failed with the Broncos.

If that happens, the Seahawks could surprise heading into a season where there won't be any expectations without Wilson and linebacker Bobby Wagner. With Lock being just 25 years old, assuming he takes well to Waldron's coaching and develops a rapport with Metcalf and Lockett, the organization could view him as a long-term answer this time next year.

And even if they don't, Schneider will have four first and second-round picks at his disposal in next year's draft, which should feature superior talent at the quarterback position with Ohio State's C.J. Stroud and Alabama's Bryce Young likely headlining the class as top-five prospects. Depending on how Seattle and Denver finish next season, it's possible picks could be packaged to move up and select a franchise signal caller. As was the case evaluating this year's class, it has to be the right fit to mesh with Carroll and the staff.

"The head coach and the quarterback are the two most important people in the building. It has to be right," Schneider remarked. "Everybody has to have a comfort level and everybody has different strengths and different weaknesses, deficiencies. The staff’s have to be confident that they can help those players out with their deficiencies. And there’s a ton thrown at these guys... You have to know what you’re doing.”

Time will tell how things transpire, but as Schneider noted after the third round on Friday, if the Seahawks didn't have a quarterback they loved in the year's draft, it made no sense to reach and pick one at the expense of a quality player at another position of need. Playing things by the book more than they ever have in a previous draft, they instead took a big step forward building the foundation around their next franchise quarterback, whether that's Lock or someone not currently on the team.