After trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders this offseason, the Seattle Seahawks are turning to Sam Darnold. Their top free agent signing is coming off a strong season with the Minnesota Vikings, but hasn't been wildly consistent throughout his career. That's why Seattle was willing to use a third-round pick on Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe.
Like Darnold, Milroe comes to Seattle with a lot of question marks. While he had some sensational moments during his collegiate career, he's also been inaccurate and indecisive at times. That's why it's not shocking to see a 2026 NFL mock draft where Seattle resets the position once again.
Pro Football Network's Mark Stolte released an early three-round mock draft, and has the Seahawks taking LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier at No. 10 overall.
"Garrett Nussmeier’s top trait is sack avoidance — something the Seattle Seahawks will value after a rough year with Sam Darnold behind a bad line. Unlike his time in Minnesota, Darnold didn’t have elite receivers, protection, or play-calling to help him out. That’s why grabbing Nussmeier on a rookie deal matters."
"Aside from avoiding sacks, the Nuss Buss has great anticipation on throws. He can put zip on it and isn’t afraid to squeeze it into tight windows. Nussmeier ranked 11th in EPA last year on throws targeting the slot — great news for a team that has both Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba."
Nussmeier is coming off a breakout season where he threw for 4,052 yards with 29 touchdown passes. As a redshirt senior, he's expected to cement himself as one of the top quarterbacks in the class.
Ideally, Seattle won't have to worry about taking a signal-caller this early, but until Darnold or Milroe prove to be the answer, the predictions will continue.
