Why Geno Smith's Contract Shouldn't Stop Seahawks from Pursuing Top QBs in NFL Draft

On Tuesday, the Seattle Seahawks rewarded Geno Smith with a three-year extension worth up to $105 million. Still, the return of the 2022 Comeback Player of the Year shouldn't prevent general manager John Schneider from turning in his first draft card with a quarterback's name on it next month.

As NFL Network's Mike Garafolo highlighted, Smith's new contract has a base value of $25 million per year with $30 million in incentives.

ProFootballTalk's Mike Florio went deeper into the available details of Smith's extension.

"The basic information suggests that the guarantee applies to all of 2023, with another $12 million guaranteed in 2024," Florio wrote. "That makes it a two-year, $50 million deal (plus incentives). It also means the Seahawks could potentially move on after one season."

The Seahawks signed Smith to a decent extension, but they didn't dump all their eggs into his basket, which leaves room on the roster for a high-upside rookie quarterback.

For just the third time in general manager John Schneider's tenure with the Seahawks, he could make a top-10 draft selection. The team selected left tackles Russell Okung and Charles Cross at No. 6 in 2010 and No. 9 in 2022, respectively.

So we should take head coach Pete Carroll's words seriously when he discussed the Seahawks' interest in this year's top quarterback prospects, via The Athletic's Michael-Shawn Dugar.

"We don't get this opportunity," Carroll said, referring to how rare it is for Seattle to have one of the top picks in the draft.

"When you're picking in the bottom of the first round, those guys aren't available. That's why we have to take advantage of this time and this moment, and so we'll see how it goes."

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Dugar added context to Schneider's roots as a talent evaluator, which reinforces the idea that Seattle may take a signal-caller in the first round of the upcoming draft.

"Schneider, a Wisconsin native, was mentored by longtime Packers general manager Ron Wolf and worked under former Green Bay GM Ted Thompson. One of the lessons Schneider learned is the value in frequently selecting quarterbacks in the draft. He has lamented not using that strategy in 13 drafts with Seattle. In that time, he's selected just two quarterbacks: Wilson in 2012 and Alex McGough in 2018."

Regarding roster needs, the Seahawks would be better off taking a defensive lineman, perhaps Tyree Wilson, to improve a unit that gave up the third-most rushing yards and ranked 19th in quarterback pressure rate (20.8 percent) last season.

In B/R's latest mock draft, we moved Seattle down four spots and selected Nolan Smith, who ran an impressive 4.39-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine and lists as our No. 14 overall prospect in the post-Senior Bowl big board rankings.

The Seahawks would get a first-year impact player in Wilson or Smith. However, they can potentially set themselves up for the next decade or so with the right choice at the most important position. Regardless of what the finer details in Smith's contract suggest, we know he's going into his age-33 term after one standout campaign.

AP Photo/John Locher

Though the Seahawks hope to see Smith continue to blossom in his early 30s, they shouldn't bank on such an atypical career arc for a player at his position.

Who knows? Maybe Smith goes through a stretch as Rich Gannon did with the then-Oakland Raiders, though his Pro Bowl-All-Pro play spanned just four seasons, which culminated in a 2002 MVP campaign with a Super Bowl appearance. After that year, the Silver and Black went through the quarterback carousel until they found stability with Derek Carr between 2014 and 2022.

While it may sting in the short term to pass up on a difference-maker for the defense, the Seahawks can mold their true quarterback of the future behind Smith in hopes that he can further elevate the offense after the veteran's time in Seattle comes to an end.

So, which rookies should Seattle consider with the No. 5 overall pick?

Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud are too good to pass up if one is available. Both signal-callers have the polish to start Week 1 of the 2023 campaign. They're interchangeable options at No. 1 and No. 2 if the Chicago Bears trade the top selection.

Will Levis and Anthony Richardson may need a little more time beyond a full offseason to play live regular-season snaps.

Nonetheless, Levis flashed great potential through his 2021 junior year at Kentucky before a disappointing injury-riddled 2022 campaign. Moreover, he lost his top two pass-catchers in wideouts Wan'Dale Robinson (second-round pick) and Josh Ali (undrafted) to the NFL last year.

AP Photo/Darron Cummings

Richardson is a more intriguing option after his eye-popping combine numbers. Many knew about his athletic gifts from his one year as a starter at Florida. Teams may be willing to bet on his size (6'4", 244 lbs) and physical profile with the evolution of the quarterback position.

We've moved past prototypical pocket-passing quarterbacks who can only beat defenses with their arm talent to dynamic playmakers who extend plays and create opportunities with their legs as well. At the very least, Richardson can make contributions out of a designed package of plays right out of college.

Of course, Richardson has a lot to work on in the pocket. B/R's Derrik Klassen highlighted the Florida product's biggest issues in a scouting report.

"Accuracy is Richardson's biggest area for improvement. Richardson's best throws are mesmerizing, but there are too many random misfires littered in between. Richardson is prone to three or so terrible misfires per game, often in the 1-10 yard area—throws that are supposed to keep the offense on schedule. He also struggles a bit more with moving targets than he does stationary ones, too often limiting YAC."

Richardson's short-to-intermediate accuracy issues stem from his one-speed throwing velocity and struggle to square up and match his lower body with his throwing motion, especially on the move, but that's where the Seahawks coaching staff can help him in a situation that doesn't require an immediate push to start a rookie.

Every prospect comes into the NFL with room for growth. While some need more refinement than others, the payoff for a high-upside player can be worth the wait. With Smith under team control for another three years, Richardson could grow exponentially before he's asked to start a game. The same concept applies to Levis.

A top defensive lineman from this year's draft can fill arguably the Seahawks' most important roster need, but a big hit at quarterback could change the trajectory of the franchise's long-term future.

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Maurice Moton covers the NFL for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @MoeMoton.