Seahawks to hold QB competition, did not view Malik Willis as NFL-ready

Smith and Drew Lock are engaged in an open competition for the job, Brady Henderson of ESPN.com notes. Pete Carroll has praised Lock throughout the offseason and said during a KJR 93.3 appearance that Lock would have been the first quarterback taken had he been in this year’s draft.

Lock, who went 42nd overall to the Broncos in 2019, is entering a contract year. He has largely struggled as a starter, and while the ex-Mizzou prospect did play in two offensive systems in his first two years, Teddy Bridgewater beat him out for Denver’s starting job last year and held him off throughout the Broncos’ time in playoff contention. Lock replaced an injured Bridgewater in a close Week 15 game against the Bengals. The Broncos lost that game and their final three to finish 7-10. This came after the strong-armed passer tied for the 2020 interception lead (15) despite missing three-plus games.

Seattle also has ex-Indianapolis draftee Jacob Eason on its roster, but Lock and Smith appear to be in the battle. Seattle did not view Willis, the Liberty prospect, as close to NFL-ready, Henderson adds. Seattle passed on Willis, Desmond Ridder and Matt Corral three times on the second day of the draft.

Smith, 31, has made five starts over the past seven seasons. Three of those came last season, his third with the Seahawks. The former second-round pick did show some promise, completing 68% of his passes on 7.4 yards per attempt. But he has been a backup on four teams since 2015.