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Let's face it Seahawks' fans—Matt Hasselbeck is old and on his way out.  

At age 34, Hasselbeck has endured a plethora of injuries to say the least, and I can't imagine he has more than a couple seasons left in the tank. It's clear that Seattle will need a quarterback for the future, and Jake Locker is the answer.

After last week's loss to the Cardinals, it appears that Seattle is out of the NFC West race, and could very well be picking in the top-five or 10 in the draft again. Now, no one knows for sure if Locker will forego his last year at Washington to enter the draft, but if he does, chances are he'll be one of the first quarterbacks selected. 

The Seahawks probably should have drafted a quarterback to start developing under Hasselbeck by now. His contract is up at the end of this year, and who knows what his plans are. And the chances that current back-up Seneca Wallace would be named the permanent predecessor are unlikely.

Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford injured his shoulder again this year, which will likely hurt his draft position. This means Locker, and possibly Notre Dame's Jimmy Clausen could be the best names on the board when Seattle picks. And if draft history repeats itself, a quarterback is almost certain to go in the top-five. 

A year with Steve Sarkisian has done wonders for Locker as a pocket passer. Sark moved Locker away from the mobile-style that former Washington coach Tyrone Willingham implemented for him. 

Besides his strong arm, Locker runs about a 4.4 second 40-yard dash, making him just about as fast as anyone in the NFL.

The Seahawks have taken defensive players in the first round for the last two years, which has helped, but I think it's time for Seattle to draft a player that they can re-build the franchise around. That player has to be Locker. 

While another year under Sarkisian at Washington would help Locker develop more, playing for a few seasons under a veteran and former pro bowler like Hasselbeck could show him a thing or two about how to be successful in the NFL. 

Locker would have a chance to play in front of his home state where people already worship the ground he walks on, and he could be the player to someday change the way things have been going for the Seahawks lately. 

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