Don't rule out the Seattle Seahawks making a move for a top quarterback in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Even if the team is able to re-sign free agent quarterback Geno Smith as planned, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll said he and general manager John Schneider are diving headlong into the 2023 QB draft class.
"We are totally connected to the quarterbacks that are coming out," said Carroll. "This is a really huge opportunity for us. It's a rare opportunity for us. We've been drafting in the low 20s for such a long time, you just don't get the chance for these guys. So we're deeply involved with all of them."
The Seahawks are discussing a multi-year contract with Smith, Carroll said. The 2022 Pro Bowl selection handled last season "impeccably," Carroll said Tuesday.
"We are working hard to keep it going," he said.
Carroll said there a "number of guys in the past" who were put on the shelf for awhile only to get another chance.
"It's a message for us," Carroll said of Smith. "There's other guys that can do the same thing. ... Maybe we have given up on guys too soon. Some of that is themselves. They have to maintain the belief in themselves. Geno is a remarkable illustration of that. He never wavered. He expected to win the job. He expected to be successful. He expected to be where he is right now."
Seattle has the fifth pick in the draft and five selections in the top 85. The No. 5 pick is Seattle's highest draft choice since 2009 as return for trading Russell Wilson to the Broncos. Seattle also has the 37th pick from Denver.
Carroll said keeping Smith and drafting a quarterback is a "definite" possibility.
Field Level Media ranks three quarterbacks among the top seven prospects in the 2023 draft.
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