National Football League

Seahawks need to draft a QB who can help them compete with 49ers

Published Dec. 10, 2023 9:45 p.m. ET

Drew Lock made his first start for the Seahawks on Sunday, and they entered as 14.5-point underdogs to the San Francisco 49ers — the biggest underdog Seattle has been in more than 30 years.

The game went pretty much as expected. Seattle fell to San Francisco for the fifth time in a row, a 28-16 contest that featured a few dust-ups between players and really didn't feel as close as the score indicated.

Lock started in place of starter Geno Smith, who sat out due to a groin injury suffered during practice this week. Lock finished 22-of-31 for 269 yards, with two touchdown passes and two interceptions for a 92.0 passer rating.

"He did a lot of cool stuff, came through for us and gave us a chance," Seattle head coach Pete Carroll said about Lock's performance.

But Lock didn't fare much better than Smith has against San Francisco. Smith is 0-4 as a starter against the 49ers since taking over for Russell Wilson at the start of last season. Smith has completed 72% of his passes for 868 yards, with three touchdowns and three interceptions in those games. Seattle's offense has averaged just 14 points a contest against San Francisco with Smith under center, and the Seahawks have lost by an average of 16 points a game.

"When you're playing a great team, you've got to be able to take advantage of the opportunities that are in front of you," veteran receiver Tyler Lockett told reporters after Seattle's latest loss to San Francisco. "You've got to take advantage of the ball control, stuff like that.

"I think we did pretty good. It's just that I think sometimes we could have taken it up a notch, instead of allowing the game to get away."

Greg Olson and Kevin Burkhardt break down the Niners' win

In the NFC West, where the 49ers own the division, Seattle needs a quarterback with dynamic playmaking ability who gives the Seahawks an opportunity to match score for score with one of the most talented offenses in the league.

Lock and Smith have shown they are not ready for prime time. For a franchise that has selected just two quarterbacks in the draft since Carroll and general manager John Schneider took over in 2010, the Seahawks must draft a franchise quarterback who can match play for play with San Francisco's dynamic offense.

In essence, the Seahawks must find their own Brock Purdy — or another Wilson.

At 6-7, the Seahawks are now on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs. And they face another tough game at home next week, against the NFC-leading Philadelphia Eagles. Carroll also is experiencing another first — his first four-game losing streak during his time in Seattle.

The losing streak has improved Seattle's draft position. If the draft were held today, Seattle would select at No. 13 overall. And there are plenty of interesting quarterback prospects in this year's draft. The list includes USC's Caleb Williams, North Carolina's Drake Maye, LSU's Jayden Daniels, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, Oregon's Bo Nix and Washington's Michael Penix Jr.

[Bucky Brooks: Scouting Caleb Williams, Bo Nix, Drake Maye and other top 2024 NFL QB prospects]

Carroll has always been good at getting the best out of young players, even at 72 years old. It's time for Seattle to go young at quarterback again, allowing the Seahawks to spend money on premium players at other positions to improve the speed and athleticism on the roster to better compete with the stacked 49ers.

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.