The Seattle Seahawks have gone through the NFL offseason without signing a replacement for Russell Wilson.
Seattle traded the quarterback to Denver for players and draft picks.
One player they got in the trade was quarterback Drew Lock.
With the 2022 NFL Draft coming soon, and the team holding firm with Lock, it appears they are going to give him a chance in 2022.
This could be his chance to shine in Seattle, as he’s the team’s only option.
Is DK Metcalf The Key To Unlock Drew Lock’s Potential?
Overall, Lock’s performance is a combination of him making mental mistakes and him not having a great receiver.
Metcalf gives him a receiver that’s used to scoring touchdowns.
He doesn’t get the yards that other receivers do, but he gets the touchdowns.
Last season saw him with only 967 yards but a whooping 12 touchdowns, a career high for him.
2021 RECEIVING TOUCHDOWN LEADERS:
1) Cooper Kupp, 16
2) Mike Evans, 14
3) Ja’Marr Chase, 13
4) DK Metcalf, 12
5) Davante Adams, 11
6) Justin Jefferson, 10
Stefon Diggs, 10
Adam Thielen, 10 pic.twitter.com/yQDKkeNNjb— Mike Kennedy (@MikeKennedyNFL) January 12, 2022
Lock could use a player of his caliber to unlock his potential under center.
Metcalf’s hands are reliable when the ball is near him, as he only dropped four passes on 54 missed targets.
So if the ball is close enough to him, he’s a reliable receiver that turns passes into touchdowns.
However, Lock needs a little more than just one receiver to help him in 2022.
Seahawks Need To Use The Draft To Address Offensive Line Problems
The biggest reason Wilson wanted out of Seattle was because of poor protection.
While they weren’t the worst, they still ranked eighth in sacks allowed with 46.
Lock can’t afford to run around and pass like Wilson did in his career with Seattle.
He needs a clean pocket and excellent protection.
The 2022 NFL Draft gives the Seahawks a chance to address those woes.
They have eight picks for 2022, with three coming very early in the draft.
Getting some offensive line help could give their quarterback the time and protection he needs to flourish.
However, there’s still one more key component that’s missing in the puzzle of success for Lock.
Seahawks Need A Healthy Backfield For Lock’s Potential Success To Work
A huge part of Seattle’s offensive problems in 2021 came from injuries with their running backs.
Rashaad Penny missed six games in 2021 because of a calf and hamstring injuries.
Chris Carson, the team’s former workhorse behind Wilson, also missed out on games in 2021.
That left the Seahawks with very few options at running back, hurting their offensive production.
They leaned on Wilson and running back Alex Collins for the nearly 600 yards of rushing that Penny and Carson didn’t account for.
Lock needs to have a healthy backfield, so the team doesn’t rely on him to make plays with his legs.
#Seahawks current QB room:
– Drew Lock
– Geno Smith
– Jacob Eason— JPA Football (@jpafootball) April 14, 2022
However, health might be an issue for Penny, who some see as having a chance of missing games in 2022.
Unless he protects himself in games for 2022, it could be a long year for Lock and the Seahawks.
If they have a long year, you can expect them to have a repeat of 2021, where they finished last in their division.
NEXT: Seahawks Finally Hosting A 2022 QB Prospect On Wednesday
