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It’s possible that the Seattle Seahawks are looking for a new starting quarterback.

The Seahawks may choose to pursue the quarterback position with the No. 16 overall choice in the 2024 NFL Draft. Seattle will be competitive for the second round of quarterback prospects, even if they won’t be able to choose any of the best quarterback prospects, including Caleb Williams and Drake Maye.

In their most recent mock draft, Tim Weaver of Seahawks Wire predicts that Seattle will choose LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, the winner of the Heisman Trophy.

Weaver states, “When it came time for us to make a decision, even with a team that had a damn-good value at quarterback in Geno Smith, it was an easy choice because Heisman-winning LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was still available.”

The Seahawks are frequently rumored to use their first-round draft choice to choose their franchise quarterback. But few of these mock selections have Daniels falling to No. 16 in them. Indeed, in some mock drafts, J.J. McCarthy, the national quarterback of the year and the starting quarterback for the Michigan Wolverines with only one loss, is another highly-regarded college quarterback whom Seattle is reportedly considering selecting.

Daniels is frequently ranked as the third quarterback selected in mock selections, after Williams and Maye. The 23-year-old, who started five seasons in college—three at Arizona State and two at LSU—was a unanimous choice All-American in 2023 and has a wealth of experience.

His 2023 season numbers are astounding: 40 touchdowns, four interceptions, 3,812 throwing yards, 72.2% completion percentage, and 11.7 yards per attempt. His throwing yards were seventh in the country, while he led the country in touchdowns and yards per attempt.

Not to mention his absurd rushing totals—on 8.4 yards of yardage attempts, Daniels gained 1,134 yards and 10 rushing scores. All players were ahead in the rushing average. In addition, Daniels has the top NFL pass rating in FBS history—146.5—and is the first quarterback in NCAA history to have 12,000 passing yards and 3,000 running yards.

Derrik Klassen of Bleacher Report explains how versatile Daniels is as a quarterback.

According to Klassen, Jayden Daniels is this year’s dual-threat dice roll in the draft class. Daniels has been a five-year starter since his time at Arizona State, and his athleticism is his greatest asset. He can move out of the pocket and around defenders in space with incredible burst and suppleness, as well as home run speed. As an athletic and running threat in this class, Daniels is unmatched by any other quarterback.

NFL Draft Buzz goes into further into about Daniels’ qualifications.

remarkable athletic prowess with a 40-yard sprint time of 4.5. With his 6’3″ size, he runs with natural speed and gains a lot of yards. demonstrates exceptional skill in pocket maneuvering, slipping past pressure with ease, and using vision to identify escape routes for ground gains. He can easily target all three levels of the field because to his outstanding arm strength. Shows a rapid release, particularly when throwing short and intermediate distances. proficiency in making precise passes even across his body, focusing on targets downfield, and throwing on the run.

Daniels can also manage the read-option offense, which the Philadelphia Eagles employed frequently with quarterback Jalen Hurts during their 2017 run to the Super Bowl.

After agreeing to a three-year, $75 million contract deal last summer, Geno Smith is still bound to the team for the next two seasons. From a statistical perspective, though, his 2023 season was mediocre as he finished in the middle of the pack in most passing statistics. In contrast, Smith was in the top eight in several key passing metrics, including completions, passing yards, touchdowns, and passer rating. He also had a Pro Bowl season and was awarded Comeback Player of the Year in 2022.

It’s evident that, even though Smith is still a reliable quarterback going into his age-34 season, he has a ceiling. There is no ceiling when a talented quarterback like Daniels is selected early in the draft; the possibilities are endless.

It’s time for a new franchise quarterback to arrive in Seattle, as the Seahawks are taking a fresh approach this season after losing Pete Carroll as head coach.