The Seattle Seahawks are reloading and regrouping for the 2022 season. As a part of their offseason, the Seahawks traded away star QB Russell Wilson for a massive package that included QB Drew Lock.

Though Lock was far from the only piece of that package, he will be thrust into a battle for the starting job with the Seahawks. So far, head coach Pete Carroll likes what he sees out of Lock.

In particular, Carroll recently said that Lock would have been the top QB selected in this year’s draft. That is not hard to fathom with Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett becoming the only QB selected in the first round at No. 20 overall.

“I think he’d have been the first guy picked, of quarterbacks anyway. He’d have been the first guy in this draft,” Carroll said during an interview with Sports Radio KJR per Michael David Smith with Pro Football Talk. “I don’t have any hesitation saying that.”

The upside to all of that? Lock already has 3 years of NFL experience with 4,700 yards passing and 25 touchdowns already under his belt. Carroll also pointed out Lock’s arm strength as a big positive early on:

“The first look at Drew, he’s really athletic, he’s really a confident athlete, you can see he’s got a lot of body control, he’s got quick feet, he’s got a quick arm, he’s got various ways he can release the football as his body’s in different positions,” Carroll said. “He’s got a real knack there. He’s got a strong arm, he can throw the ball a mile down the field.”

As of now, Seattle has a QB room that consists of Lock, Geno Smith and Jacob Eason. With Wilson’s departure, it will be interesting to see who opens the season as Seattle’s starter.