NFL Draft 2012: 5 QB Options for the Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks' offseason pursuit of a quarterback to challenge incumbent starter Tarvaris Jackson took an interesting turn yesterday with reports that the Seahawks appear primed to make a run at the recently released Peyton Manning. 

Prior to yesterday, it was generally thought that the Seahawks would add a QB in the 2012 NFL draft and stay out of the free-agent market.  The Manning news obviously changes this, but it still seems likely that the 'Hawks will consider using a mid-round draft pick on a QB so that the team can groom a starter for future years.

This slideshow takes a look at five QB prospects that could find themselves as Seahawks on draft day.

Ryan Tannehill, Texas A&M

Despite only starting 19 games at College Station and missing the NFL combine with an injury, Ryan Tannehill has solidified himself as the third best quarterback prospect on the board behind Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III. 

With so few collegiate starts, not to mention coming from a spread offense, Tannehill is a risky prospect that has risen up draft boards mainly due to the lack of great options at QB behind Luck and Griffin. 

That being said, Tannehill has considerable upside as he displayed a strong arm with great accuracy as the starting QB at Texas A&M.  In addition, Tannehill is an outstanding athlete—he led the Aggies in receptions his freshman and sophomore seasons—with great mobility in the pocket.

Given his current standing as the third best QB prospect in the draft, it is likely that Tannehill gets drafted in the mid-first round area.  Although the Seahawks need to upgrade the QB position, selecting Tannehill with the 12th overall pick would be a reach for Pete Carroll and company.

Brock Osweiler, Arizona State

Like Tannehill, former Arizona State QB Brock Osweiler has also benefited from the weak crop of QBs in the 2012 draft. 

Besides Osweiler (6'7") standing almost three inches taller than Tannehill, the two prospects are very similar in that they both posses red flags due to their lack of starting experience in college (15 starts for Osweiler), along with the fact they both operated spread offenses. 

Still, Osweiler is likely to be selected in the early to mid second-round area due to his impressive arm strength and quick release from the pocket.  If the Seahawks want to take a chance on a high-upside prospect at QB, Osweiler is certainly someone that fits the description.

Kirk Cousins, Michigan State

Perhaps the hottest QB prospect following the combine is Kirk Cousins, who has seen his stock elevated to a potential second-round selection.

In contrast to the two previous QB prospects, the former Michigan State star doesn’t come with any experience issues, as Cousins was the Spartans' starting QB for the past three seasons.  Another plus for Cousins is that he is one of the few prospects in the draft that comes with pro-style experience.

Although Cousins isn’t blessed with great arm strength or athleticism, he is a proven winner that led Michigan State to three of the best seasons in school history.

Cousins projects as a solid game manager at the NFL level and as a result should come off the board in the mid to late second round.

Brandon Weeden, Oklahoma State

If not for his age (28), which is the result of five years spent playing minor league baseball, Brandon Weeden would likely be in consideration for a first-round selection.

After his detour in the minor leagues, Weeden proceeded to light up Big-12 defenses to the tune of over 9,500 passing yards and 68 touchdowns in his last two seasons in Stillwater.  The numbers are inflated due to the pass-happy offense he played in, but it is still hard to argue with that kind of production.

Even so, despite his strong arm and prototypical frame, teams are going to be hesitant to select Weeden before the third round due to his age.

Nick Foles, Arizona

Playing in the loaded Pac-12 conference, Arizona’s Nick Foles often got lost in the shuffle, but that didn’t keep NFL scouts from noticing his potential to be an NFL-caliber QB.

Although Arizona had a losing record during Foles' time as a starter, the blame can’t be given solely to Foles, as he leaves Arizona as the school's leading passer.  While Foles does everything well, he doesn’t excel in any one area and is prone at times to turning the ball over. 

Still, with Foles looking the part of an NFL QB at 6’5” and 240 pounds, he figures to be selected somewhere in the fourth round.