At the NFL combine a few weeks ago, Seattle Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll described the Seahawks' current state as rare. 

A franchise, typically accustomed to picking in the late first round, holds a top-five selection in the 2023 NFL Draft. And with the No. 5 pick, Seattle is looking at all of its options, including quarterback. 

Though the Seahawks re-signed Geno Smith and Drew Lock, Carroll and the brain trust behind the organization are still doing their due diligence in regard to scouting the quarterbacks available in the draft. 

The only problem with that thought process, however, is that Carroll believes there are four great quarterbacks in the draft and Seattle is on the outside looking in regarding controlling its destiny with the quarterback of its choosing. 

“Well, here we are. The number five pick and there are legitimately four great prospects coming out at the quarterback spot," Carroll said to Steve Wyche at NFL Network. "We may never have this opportunity again, so we’ve got to maximize it and so we’re doing our homework. We’re not going to hold back in doing that. And everybody knows, Geno knows and Drew knows, and everybody knows what’s going on, we’re just got to see what happens and take it as it comes.”

Carroll didn't divulge the names of whom Seattle's top-four quarterback choices would be. But through deduction, three names can be crossed off the board. 

Most NFL mock drafts have Alabama’s Bryce Young, Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud, and Florida’s Anthony Richardson as the top-three quarterbacks. 

After that, it is really a guessing game. There is Kentucky’s Will Levis or Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, who are frequently labeled as the fourth-best quarterback. And in a recent ESPN GM mock draft, Seattle was a team that reached for Hendon Hooker at the No. 5 selection. 

But, Seattle may not even opt to take a quarterback with its first-round pick. There is really no pressure to. With Smith under contract, and Lock backing him up, the Seahawks would be drafting for the future in the first place. 

Meaning, to maximize the chances of winning now, Seattle could look to trade down or fill an immediate need early in round one. The good news is, outside of the quarterback position, there are still a number of prospects worthy of a top-five selection.