Pete Carroll: Drew Lock Would’ve Been First QB Taken in ’22 NFL Draft

The former Broncos quarterback hasn’t been named QB1, but the Seattle coach likes what he sees so far from him.

It sounds like Pete Carroll and the Seahawks are confident in their quarterback situation following the March blockbuster trade that sent Russell Wilson to the Broncos and brought Drew Lock to Seattle.

Lock, who was selected by Denver with the 42nd of the 2019 NFL draft, has had an up-and-down career in his three years in the league so far. He only started five games as a rookie in 2019, but then was named the starting quarterback in 2020. He finished with 2,933 passing yards in 13 games, but also threw 15 interceptions. He was largely sidelined in 2021, only starting three games, all of which were Broncos losses.

Carroll spoke on Sports Radio KJR this week following the team’s offseason workouts, and it sounds like Lock may have improved his game. The 70-year-old coach believes if Lock was in this year’s draft, he would’ve been selected before any other quarterback.

“I think he’d have been the first guy picked, of quarterbacks anyway,” Carroll said, via ProFootballTalk. “He’d have been the first guy in this draft. I don’t have any hesitation saying that.”

Kenny Pickett out of Pittsburgh was the first and only quarterback selected in the first round when the Steelers picked him up at No. 20. The next quarterback, Desmond Ridder, wasn’t selected until the third round at No. 74 by the Falcons.

Carroll’s comments about Lock come shortly after the coach said veteran quarterback Geno Smith was leading the Seahawks’ quarterback battle vs. Lock and Jacob Eason. The Seahawks have not publicly announced their QB1 for the 2022 season.

“The first look at Drew, he’s really athletic, he’s really a confident athlete, you can see he’s got a lot of body control, he’s got quick feet, he’s got a quick arm, he’s got various ways he can release the football as his body’s in different positions,” Carroll said. “He’s got a real knack there. He’s got a strong arm, he can throw the ball a mile down the field. He compares to Geno, and Geno Smith has a great arm. He has a world-class arm, and all that. To match up with that, that’s saying a lot.”

There were once rumors that the Seahawks would trade for Baker Mayfield from the Browns, but Carroll mentioned this week that the team does not plan to pick up any other veteran quarterbacks. Additionally, Seattle did not select any rookie quarterback’s in this year’s draft.

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