The Seattle Seahawks have benefited from stability at the quarterback position for over a decade but opted to shake things up by trading Geno Smith to the Las Vegas Raiders and splurging on free agent Sam Darnold.
The Seahawks gave Darnold a three-year, $100.5 million deal following his breakout season with the Minnesota Vikings. While the contract appears to be a big commitment on paper, the terms allow Seattle to bail on the former No. 3 pick after one season if things don't work out.
This should motivate general manager John Schneider to set Darnold up for success this season, and the best way to do that is by upgrading the offensive line. Many expect the team to add a guard or center in the early rounds. of the 2025 NFL draft.
In a new seven-round mock draft from CBS Sports, the Seahawks upgrade their offensive and defensive lines on Day 2 before adding a quarterback on Day 3. In Round 1, Seattle was projected to take safety Nick Emmanwori, whose skill set drew comparisons to a former "Legion of Boom" member.
"An imposing Kam Chancellor-esque enforcer, he could function as a sort of Swiss Army knife, allowing veteran safeties Julian Love and Coby Bryant to thrive in rotation," CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin wrote about Emmanwori.
In the second round, Seattle adds versatile offensive lineman Jonah Savaiinaea and TCU wide receiver Jack Bech. Then in Round 3, the team was projected to take Texas A&M defensive lineman Shemar Turner and Ole Miss edge rusher Princely Umanmielen.
CBS Sports' mock starts to get really interesting in Round 4, with the Seahawks drafting Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers at pick 137 overall.
"In truth, Darnold's deal can be discarded after one year without any negative impact on the 2026 salary cap, and we've seen Seattle double-dip with a quarterback reset before (see: Russell Wilson, Matt Flynn, etc.)," wrote Benjamin. "Ewers is a streaky player, but his grit, touch and off-script potential could be the perfect ingredients for Darnold insurance."
The Seahawks shouldn't ignore the quarterback position just because they signed Darnold. After all, the team signed free agent Matt Flynn back in 2012 and then drafted Russell Wilson in the third round.
Ewers has a ton of upside but will need some time to adjust to the NFL game. Therefore, it makes sense to add him as a developmental backup to Darnold. In 2024, Ewers passed for a career-high 31 touchdowns but doubled his previous career high in interceptions with 12.
The Seahawks have 10 total picks in the upcoming draft, so they can afford to take a chance on the Longhorns quarterback if he's around on Day 3.
