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# Should Seahawks Skip QB Again with Light 2025 Draft Class?
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/should-seahawks-skip-qb-again-with-light-2025-draft-class/
- Published: 2025-03-15T19:42:02.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T06:21:05.000Z
- Author: Nick Lee
- Tags: Seahawks, Dillon Gabriel, Kurtis Rourke, Tyler Shough, Riley Leonard, 2025 NFL Draft, Sam Darnold

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1132"\]

![  Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel scans the field looking for a receiver against the Michigan Wolverines.  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/mbn_s24g09_ore-94-format-original.jpg)

Oregon Ducks quarterback Dillon Gabriel scans the field looking for a receiver against the Michigan Wolverines. \[/caption\]

The narrative has been that the 2025 crop of quarterbacks in the draft is on the lighter side. Even with its top-heavy reputation, the top isn’t as heavy as years passed. 

Per [Chris Trapasso of CBS](https://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/2025-nfl-draft-how-do-shedeur-sanders-and-cam-ward-stack-up-to-top-qb-prospects-in-2024-draft/?ref=emeraldcityspectrum.com), Miami quarterback Cam Ward would have ranked below Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye, and JJ McCarthy if he was part of last year’s draft class. In his view, Colorado’s Shadeur Sanders would be behind Michael Penix and Bo Nix as well.

However, this is a classic supply-and-demand situation. Several teams need quarterbacks. More teams need quarterbacks than there are quality quarterback prospects available in this draft. By this logic, several teams will overreach for a rookie signal caller next month. This year, both Ward and Sanders are projected to be top 10 picks, perhaps even going in the top five.

This also means quarterbacks knocking on the door of the first round or likely Day 2 picks, such as Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe, Will Howard, or Kyle McCord, are being valued higher than they should be. 

With the Seahawks recent signing Sam Darnold coming off a career year, should they once again punt on drafting a quarterback this year? 

The Seahawks have not drafted a quarterback since 2018, taking Alex McGough in the seventh round. He was their first drafted signal caller since Russell Wilson in 2012\. It has been 13 years since Seattle drafted a quarterback earlier than the seventh round and general manager John Schneider has only drafted two of them in his entire time at the helm since 2010.

Sam Darnold will be 28 years old this summer, roughly seven years younger than departed starter Geno Smith, who Seattle traded to Las Vegas for a third-round pick on March 7\. A scenario exists where Darnold is the present and future quarterback in Seattle, if he can show his 2024 campaign was not fool's gold in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s offense.

While most view Darnold as a "bridge" quarterback for the Seahawks until they draft one that they view as the future face of the franchise, that is not cemented as the guaranteed scenario. Darnold may still have more than three years of good football left in him. In an NFL world of constant change and turnover, that's a long time in this industry.

With Darnold firmly the starter in 2025, should Seattle then just focus on building the roster around him with all their draft picks? Why take a quarterback when this is a poorly rated class and Seattle has much bigger needs around Darnold? 

Signing Darnold to a three-year, $100-plus million deal may put Seattle out of the conversation of drafting a first-round quarterback. Instead, they may opt to use that premium pick on an offensive lineman or front-seven defender. 

With how poor of a QB class this appears to be, the Seahawks would be better off not picking a quarterback on the first two days of the draft through the first three rounds. If the Seahawks feel they can take a flyer on a project quarterback somewhere on Day 3, that would be the sweet spot.

Names to watch in that area are Dillon Gabriel, Tyler Shough, Kurtis Rourke, and Riley Leonard among others with development in mind, not thrusting them into a competition against Darnold for the starting spot out of the gate.

Most of the time, Day 3 picks are not instant starters at any position. They usually need some seasoning. Thus, if Seattle were to use a late pick on a raw quarterback, it's more likely they would not miss out on a possible starter elsewhere with that same pick. However, picking a quarterback in the first three rounds likely would cause them to miss out on a starter elsewhere on the roster. 

Given the needs all over the roster, especially along the offensive line, the Seahawks should focus there. Darnold has shown he can succeed with a strong supporting cast. With the right draft at key positions other than quarterback, he can have that in Seattle. For that reason alone, the Seahawks should not use any of their first three round picks on a quarterback unless the right player free falls down the board.