NFL Rumors: Seahawks-Penix trade, Jefferson without Cousins, Wilson deals

NFL rumors: Seahawks trade up for Michael Penix Jr. in mock draft

The 2024 NFL Draft features two distinct quarterback tiers at the top. Caleb Williams, Drake Maye, and Jayden Daniels will be the first three off the board. After that, it's a crapshoot, with very little in terms of consensus opinion. Washington's Michael Penix Jr. put together a historic senior campaign. He could be the fourth QB off the board.

Over at Bleacher Report, Ryan Fowler put together a few mock trades to "shake things up" on day one of the draft. One deal features the Seattle Seahawks trading into the top-10 to select Penix, cementing him as Geno Smith's replacement while keeping him at home in the Pacific Northwest.

To be frank, this feels like a massive overpay to move up six spots to select the fourth-best QB. Quarterback is the most valuable position in football, but Penix is widely speculated as a late first or early second-round pick — and for good reason. He is 23 years old with a troublesome history of injuries. Plus, while Penix was productive in college football's most explosive offense, there are concerns about his unique lefty throwing style actually translating to the NFL.

Here's how Fowler justified the move:

"While Penix' evaluation remains fluid for a majority of scouts I've had conversations with over the last few weeks, operating an offense with D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba to either wing isn't a bad arsenal to attack with in your first year as a pro."

The Seahawks do have the weapons to complement Penix's vertical proclivity. There is also the unique opportunity to keep him in Washington and shepherd a local legend. If Penix does reach his potential at the next level, there isn't a better place to do it than Seattle, where he will have the intense loyalty of the local fans. That shouldn't color the front office's decision-making, but it could.

Penix completed 65.4 percent of his passes as a sixth-year senior for the Huskies, registering 4,903 yards, 36 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. The production is hard to overlook, even against Pac-12 defenses. Seattle needs a young QB to build their future around. While No. 10 in a tad high, the Seahawks should absolutely keep Penix on the radar.