Geno Smith is not enjoying the same level of success in 2023 as he did in his first year as the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks, but surely it is too early to start thinking about finding his successor?

Not according to Dane Brugler of The Athletic.

In his first mock of the pre-draft season, Brugler has the Seahawks taking advantage of a deep quarterback class to select their future face of the franchise in a selection that would likely divide opinion.

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan

The raw numbers for McCarthy indicate a prospect who has taken a big leap in his junior season, his completion percentage leaping from 64.6 to 74.3 and his adjusted yards per attempt from 9.1 to 10.4.

But in his blurb on the McCarthy selection, Brugler explains why many may be skeptical of such a pick.

"McCarthy is a polarizing prospect. He has all the tools, and NFL coaches will love the intangibles, but evaluators want to see him put the offense on his back and take over games. It’s not that he can’t, it’s that he hasn’t really needed to given Michigan’s play style and schedule. General manager John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll see Seattle as a win-now team, but at some point, they will invest in a young quarterback to develop."

His success in part a byproduct of playing in a Michigan offense that is run-heavy and takes much of the pressure of his shoulders, McCarthy appears a player destined to be hit with the tedious 'system quarterback' tag.

But that is unlikely to deter Schneider and Carroll if they are a fan of McCarthy's game. Carroll has long since favored a run-centric attack and, in that sense, McCarthy would be a strong fit.

However, spending a first-round pick on a player who hasn't proven at the college level whether he can transcend the system may well be met with howls of disapproval from many fans and draft analysts.

There's also the question of starting the clock on Smith after just two seasons as the starter and just one year into a three-year contract he signed in the offseason and whether that would be a premature move.

With some disappointing play from his pass-catchers and his offensive line this season, Smith hasn't been in the best situation to succeed in year two and there's a compelling case to be made that he deserves to begin his third year as starter without looking over his shoulder at a rookie.

Still, Smith will be 34 next October. He's not close to the twilight of his career, but the Seahawks will start thinking about a succession plan in the not too distant future. A quarterback pick in 2024 would not be a complete shocker.

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