Pete Carroll claims Drew Lock would’ve been 1st QB selected in 2022 NFL Draft

The Seattle Seahawks made a franchise-changing move this offseason when they traded away superstar quarterback Russell Wilson to the Denver Broncos.

As part of the deal, the Seahawks got a war chest of draft picks as well as young quarterback Drew Lock. When the deal was made, there were some who thought the Seahawks might spend one of their early picks in the 2022 NFL Draft on Wilson’s replacement. Instead, the Seahawks didn’t select a quarterback at all.

According to Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll, the team already has a player that would have been the first quarterback off the board had he been in this year’s draft class.

“I think he’d have been the first guy picked, of quarterbacks anyway,” Carroll said Thursday on Sports Radio KJR regarding Lock. “He’d have been the first guy in this draft. I don’t have any hesitation saying that.”

It’s an interesting way to look at the situation, but it is not without merit. At just 25 years old, Lock is still young enough to improve. With that in mind, he hasn’t really lived up to the expectations that he came into the league with as a second-round pick.

Though he has started in 21 games of the 24 he has played in, his numbers are not all that impressive. In three seasons, he’s recorded 4,740 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns and 20 interceptions. His completion percentage is even less impressive at just 59.3 percent.

Though one could argue that he wasn’t really put in a position to succeed in Denver, the numbers do tell a pretty underwhelming story.

Now, it will be fascinating to see if Lock’s fortunes change with the change of scenery. It stands to reason that his opportunities are running out before he is no longer considered a potential starter in the NFL.

As for the quarterbacks selected in this year’s draft, just one was taken in the first round in Kenny Pickett. The next time a quarterback came off the board was in Round 3.