The Seahawks’ quarterback depth chart already features incumbent starter Geno Smith and trade acquisition Sam Howell. As the draft approaches, though, the team is showing at least passing interest in some of the top options at the position. 
Seattle hosted Bo Nix on a pre-draft visit over the weekend, per Aaron Wilson of KPRC2. Nix is within the second tier of QB prospects in the 2024 class, often viewed closer to Washington alum Michael Penix Jr. than the established top four signal-callers (Caleb Williams, Jayden Daniels, Drake Maye and J.J. McCarthy). The Seahawks have previously been linked to Penix.
Nix put up less-than-impressive numbers during his time at Auburn, but a transfer to Oregon ahead of the 2022 campaign paved the way for his draft stock rising considerably. He totaled 94 touchdowns (74 passing, 20 rushing) in his two seasons with the Ducks, remaining efficient as a passer. Nix completed 74.9% of his attempts at Oregon, throwing only 10 interceptions along the way.
After finishing third in Heisman voting during the 2023 season, Nix found himself on the radar of teams not positioned at the top of the draft order but nevertheless in need of a quarterback addition. The Seahawks currently own the 16th overall pick, slotting them behind the likes of the Vikings, Broncos and Raiders (known trade-up candidates). The team could stand to fill other needs with their top pick, especially with Smith and Howell each on the books for the next two seasons.
However, Seattle’s next selection is No. 81, and Nix will quite likely be off the board by that point. Smith’s future faced a number of questions this offseason, one in which GM John Schneider (who now has full say on roster decisions) and new head coach Mike Macdonald have eventually named him the team’s starter. Howell – acquired to replace Drew Lock in the QB2 role – spent the 2023 season as Washington’s starter and he could be viewed as a developmental option to take over from Smith in relatively short order.
Nix – who also has a Raiders visit lined up – could provide the Seahawks with another long-term project under center (although it should be noted he is 24, making him one of the older QB prospects in this year’s class). It will be interesting to see how the team proceeds in the coming weeks with respect to other visits amongst quarterbacks.
Seattle may want him, but it’s quite unlikely to me that Nix ends up there. The trade for Howell seems quite redundant in the event that the Seahawks anticipate trading up for Nix at or before the draft. Wouldn’t it be interesting, though, if they dangled Howell as trade bait? That’s a joke, of course…
The thing that this does say for certain is that life after Smith is definitely on the radar. Howell may not be a bona fide starter yet, but he’s certainly not a sit him-and-forget him two. He could legitimately be developed at this point in his career, just as easily as he could be relegated to becoming the next Gardner Minshew. Drafting Nix to sit alongside Smith and Howell will certainly jettison Smith into de facto lame duck territory, whether he is said to be the starter or not.
As far as Nix goes…well, he’s certainly better than he was at Auburn, but he still has a lot of the same tendencies. They’re more controlled, which is exactly what you and expect from a player, and as such may not be an issue for Seattle if they believe that they can continue to coach them down. Nix at Auburn wasn’t bad necessarily, he was just the picture of inconsistency. Most of that was decision making, and footwork. At Oregon, he’s gotten much more mature through experience, but he definitely faced lesser competition defensively.
The thing that Nix has always done well is escape from bad situations. The thing that he hasn’t is chain together solid footwork or timing on easier plays. That was more evident at Auburn than at Oregon, because the gaps between those plays were larger (in my mind). He doesn’t always seem comfortable in the pocket, but he escapes bad situations from that more easily than most quarterbacks. There are some plays that you wish that he’d give up on instead of try to extend, but he can make those miracle plays every now and again out of them. In some small ways he almost reminds me of Eli Manning in that regard-he plays closer to baseline, whether it’s an “easy” play or a miracle play. Nix is pretty good under pressure, despite being more average when unaffected.
Of course, it should go without saying that that comparison is not in regards to athletic traits. Manning had a great arm, but Nix certainly has him beat on the ground, where Nix can and has been very slippery. Nix plays very well off schedule, but getting him on schedule looks like it could be the first task for Seattle if they make this move. That escapability could be crucial as he adjusts to the speed and size from Oregon to the NFL, especially if inconsistency on the first two downs leads to long thirds. You’d definitely rather have that than not have it, though. As I’ve said before, I’m absolutely not a pro scout, or even an amateur scout. I’m often wrong, and I easily could be about Nix.
Are you a pro scout? You always have the best observations and are clear and concise in your opinions.
Arty….you call that lengthy post concise? lol
I do agree his stuff is well thought out.
Nobody would pay me to do this. After reviewing my results, I would tend to agree.