The Seattle Seahawks are sitting pretty when it comes to the 2023 NFL Draft. 

The possibilities are unlimited. Seattle can stay in the top-5 and draft almost any player it wants. They want Tyree Wilson out of Texas Tech? Done. What about Christian Gonzalez? Done. Peter Skoronski? Done.

Anthony Richardson? Um. Sure?

Richardson would be a very intriguing option, to say the least, at No. 5 overall. 

And that's exactly where ESPN's Mel Kiper has the former Florida Gators QB landing in his latest mock draft:

Why Richardson? The upside is so, so high. He's a 6-foot-4, 244-pound signal-caller who can make any throw and who also ran a 4.43-second 40-yard dash at the combine. If he's given time to catch up to the speed of the NFL, he could be a star. This would be a great situation for him, on an offense that has young stars. Plus, the Seahawks have another Round 1 pick at No. 20 — if any team is in a spot to take a high-risk player, it's them. By the way, four quarterbacks going in the top five picks has never happened before. – ESPN's Mel Kiper

The Seahawks can't let this happen

It's easy to see why Richardson is so enticing. But so were Zach Wilson and Trey Lance. The same goes for Daniel Jones and Mitch Trubisky. All of those quarterbacks were considered projects coming out of college and it was the whole "if the right coach can tap into them…" line of thinking that screwed over the four franchises that drafted those guys. Well, Jones has found new life in New York, but the jury is still out on how that develops over time.

In other words: taking project quarterbacks with top-6 draft picks is a major risk. A lot has to go right. And guys like Josh Allen are outliers – it's not common for project players like Allen to go on and become NFL MVP candidates.

To risk this with the No. 20 overall pick would be one thing and honestly, it's whatever at that point. The first round typically doesn't have 32 first round grades. It's usually around 15-20. So, the 'Hawks are already on the verge of missing out on value at No. 20.

But to take Richardson at No. 5? When the Seahawks still have obvious areas in need of improvement? A guy that won't even play in 2023?

It makes zero sense and while it doesn't hurt the Seahawks' push for another postseason berth, it certainly doesn't help them take the next step that they're looking to take in 2023. 

Seahawks take a receiver at No. 20

Kiper alsohas the Seahawks taking Ohio State's Jackson Smith-Njigba at No. 20. While this move makes a lot more sense, it still feels a bit high for JSN. 

Either way, the Seahawks get a guy who can man the slot position with this pick. Granted, Tyler Lockett does a lot of receiving work out the slot and D.K. Metcalf can contribute here and there, but the 'Hawks don't have a true, effective slot guy on the roster.

The addition of Smith-Njigba would boost the Seahawks offense when utilizing 11 personnel. Per Sports Info Solutions, the Seahawks finished 2022 tied for the 11th-best ANY/A, the 14th-best positive play rate, and the 13th-best EPA/att when three receivers were on the field. JSN can help push those numbers into the top-10, which obviously helps the offense, but more importantly, it expands the offense. The Seahawks ranked 23rd out of all 32 NFL teams when it came to throwing out of 11 personnel (413 dropbacks).

Lockett will also be 31 when the season starts and as great as he's been, it's time start thinking of succession plans at that age. JSN could potentially provide that when it comes to Lockett's slot production. 

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Final word: There's nothing wrong with the Seahawks taking a quarterback at No. 5 overall, but Richardson is too much of a risk. The Seahawks don't need to look at this like Kiper does in the sense that one of the first-rounders is worth a gamble or risk simply because they have another first. It needs to be looked at in the lens of two first-rounders, including the No. 5 overall pick, can immediately put this team in Super Bowl contention if the cards are played right. 

Unfortunately, Richardson isn't in those cards. And if he is, the Seahawks are making an awful mistake. 

You can check out Kiper's full mock draft, here.