Seahawks land star SEC QB in latest Mel Kiper mock draft

The Seahawks are expected to make a splash in the upcoming NFL Draft with ESPN's Mel Kiper believing they could trade up for a third first-round pick to select QB Hendon Hooker.

Seattle already has two first-round picks -- its own at No. 20 and Denver's No. 5 -- but may try to move into the backend of the first round.

Kiper has the Seahawks trading for the Eagles' 30th overall pick by sending two second-round picks (37th and 52nd overall) to Philly. That would be a reasonable exchange for both parties. In 2018, for example, the Ravens traded the 52nd and 125th overall picks in that year's draft -- as well as a 2019 second-rounder -- to the Eagles for Nos. 32 and 132.

Hooker's stock has risen over the past month to the point where he's viewed as a consensus top-five QB in this class and a possible first-round pick. He's recovering well from his Nov. 2022 ACL tear and his medical evaluation at the combine showed he should be ready for the beginning of the season.

Geno Smith is entrenched as Seattle's starter, so Hooker wouldn't need to rush back and could use his first season -- or two, depending on how well Smith plays next season -- to familiarize himself with the Seahawks' offense.

Kiper lays out a solid reason why Seattle (or any team, for that matter) should consider drafting Hooker in the first round. 

"There's a ton of value in trading back into Round 1 to take a player to get his fifth-year option," writes Kiper. "We've seen it twice with quarterbacks this past decade...Lamar Jackson (2018) and Teddy Bridgewater (2014)."

That fifth-year option would be particularly helpful for a team like the Seahawks who presumably wouldn't start Hooker during his first season or two. That extra year would give Seattle another season with Hooker at a cheaper price, something that will come in handy when the members of the franchise's stellar 2022 draft class become eligible for raises.

If the draft goes the way Kiper's mock has it play out, the Seahawks would arguably be the biggest winner of the first round. He also has them adding defensive tackle Jalen Carter (fifth overall) and defensive end Myles Murphy (20th overall). Adding a quarterback with Hooker's potential could put them over the top.