Seahawks ‘totally connected’ to top 2023 NFL Draft QBs despite re-signing Pro Bowl QB Geno Smith

The Seattle Seahawks have a Pro Bowl quarterback in Geno Smith, who they just committed to on Monday with a three-year, $105 million contract to prevent him from hitting the open market as a free agent. Yet, with Seattle holding a top-five pick for the first time in the Pete Carroll-John Schneider era (since 2010), the head coach and the general manager are relishing the opportunity to potentially select one of the 2023 NFL Draft‘s top passers. 

“We are totally connected to the quarterbacks that are coming out,” Seahawks coach Pete Carroll said on Feb. 28 at the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis, via ESPN. “This is a really huge opportunity for us. It’s a rare opportunity. We’ve been drafting in the low 20’s for such a long time. You just don’t get the chance with these guys. So we’re deeply involved with all that.”    

The only reason the Seahawks, a playoff team in 2022, are selecting fifth overall is because of their trade with the Broncos that sent their longtime face-of-the-franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to Denver in exchange for three players (QB Drew Lock, TE Noah Fant and DL Shelby Harris) along with five draft picks (two firsts, two seconds and one fifth). The Broncos went 5-12 in Wilson’s first year in Denver, a season in which Wilson had career lows in completion percentage (60.5%), passing touchdowns (15) and passer rating (84.4). 

The last time the Seahawks were picking in the top five was 2009, when they selected Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry fourth overall. Carroll and Schneider joined the franchise the following season. Having reached the postseason 10 times in 13 years has precluded them from picking in a realistic spot to land a draft’s…