The Seattle Seahawks are supposed to be one of the teams looking for a new franchise quarterback going into the 2023 NFL draft. The unlikely ascension of Geno Smith opens that idea up for debate, though. Smith is only one a one-year deal and he will turn 32 in a couple of days. That said, if he keeps performing the way he has through four games Seattle will be hard-pressed not to bring him back and start him again next season.
We still think picking a QB early is a good idea, even if the plan is to keep Geno as the guy. However, if they choose that route it would free the Seahawks up to use their considerable draft capital on improving their defense – the worst in the league outside Detroit. There are several personnel issues to address, but boosting the pass rush should be high on the list and the best place to find disruptive linemen right now is Georgia.
In a new 2023 mock draft from Luke Easterling at Draft Wire, Seattle doubled down on the Bulldogs defense, picking two DL thanks to the extra first-rounder they got from the Denver Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade. Here’s who they got in the mock.
Pick No. 5 overall: Georgia DL Jalen Carter (6-foot-3, 310 pounds)
“If the Seahawks end up picking this high, they should be targeting overall talent more than any particular positional need. Lucky for them, in this scenario, they get a huge bargain with one of the most dominant defensive prospects in the entire draft. Even with last year’s loaded class of Bulldogs, Carter might have been the best of the bunch.”
Pick No. 11 overall: Georgia EDGE Nolan Smith (6-foot-3, 235 pounds)
“After landing one stud Bulldog for the interior of their defensive front, the Seahawks land another one here, this time for the edge. Smith’s skill set would be a perfect fit in this defense, and he could have easily been yet another first-round pick from this defense in this year’s draft.”
Hopefully Seattle is on the clock later than No. 5 with their own pick, but given the way their defense has performed so far it’s difficult to rule that scenario out, even as good as Smith looks.
