The justification is sound. I just didn’t see it coming.

Can teams trade out of spots in this mock?

I think if Stafford, or to a slightly lesser degree, Sanchez (or Crabtree/Curry) is available at #4 a trade with a another hungry team is possible, what we could get in return is open to debate. I would hope at the very least we could switch first round positions with the trade team and pick up one or more second to forth round picks which would accomplish draft depth for the Seahawks. As to QB’s to consider, I offer the following stats obtained from ESPN.com on two of the QB’s in this draft.

(1) MATTHEW STAFFORD;
CAREER #‘s from 2006-2008;
564-compl. / 987-att. / 7731-yds. / 57.14-compl. %/ 13.7-yds-per compl. / 51-TD’s. / 33-INT. / 44-sacks / 130.48-Avg. QB rating.
2008- #‘s: 235-compl. / 383-att. / 3459-yds. / 61.35-compl. %/ 14.7-yds-per compl. / 25-TD’s / 10-INT. / 17 sacks / 153.54-QB rating.

(2) GRAHAM HARRELL:
CAREER #‘s from 2005-2008;
1403-compl. / 2010-att. / 15,793-yds. / 69.8-compl.% / 11.25-yds-per compl. / 134-TD’s. / 34-INT. / 51-sacks / 153.25-Avg. QB rating.
2008- #‘s: 442-compl. / 626-att. / 5,111-yds. / 70.6-compl.% / 11.56-yds-per compl. / 45-TD’s / 9-INT. / 14 sacks / 160.04-Avg. QB rating.

As pure stats go these #’s are stagering & would seem to indicate Harrell should receive some significate draft consideration by the Seahawks. The most common industry knock on Harrell is that he is a system QB that primarily ran the spread formation and that his total yards are inflated due to after the catch yards.
Here is a quote from Harrell’s coach:
3/19/2009 – Texas Tech coach Mike Leach insists his quarterback is the best in the NFL draft. I know what you’re thinking, asking a coach about his players is like asking a parent about their children, of course they are going to exaggerate, but Leach’s comments directed toward NFL scouts and coaches was simply too amusing not to share. March 17, Dallas Morning News: Leach, who scoffs at the system-quarterback label, angrily talked about NFL teams’ concern regarding Harrell’s ability to work from under center. "You bring up easily the most pitiful NFL cop-out of all," Leach said in a telephone interview. "And you can send that message to the whole NFL. Any coach who has ever said or uttered those words or considers that a concern, here’s my message for them: How could you possibly look yourself in the mirror and consider yourself an NFL coach and not be able to teach a guy to run back three steps, five steps and seven steps? I can teach a child that! "Any coach in the NFL who can’t do that ought to be fired!"

It would seem to me that this kid does indeed have some very good talent and should be well worth a shot with the Seahawks and he should most likely be available mid to late draft.

I’m probably in the very small minority though.

Granted, with the way that the draft fell in the SBN mock draft, Stafford may very well have been their best option. If that’s what happened in real life, I could stand by it.

That said, Harrell will come much cheaper and he can do all the things that Stafford can. His other abilities include getting rid of the ball really quick. He knows where his outlet receivers are when the protection has failed. The high majority of the time, he throws where no one can get the ball except his receivers. He can avoid pressure. He seems like he has pretty good pocket presence. He can play in the clutch. In fact, he reminds me more of Hasselbeck in this draft because he can play in a system where the name of the game is yards after the catch, and he thrives in a two-minute offense.

Harrell just doesn’t have the same arm strength as Stafford, but he can make all the throws necessary in the NFL. However, unlike Stafford, he doesn’t stare down his primary receiver.

The risk vs. reward is what appeals the most to me. Yes, I will agree with anyone that the argument for choosing a quarterback early is more than sound, it makes perfect sense; historically, the elite quarterbacks are chosen early in the first round and that trying to find a franchise quarterback by other means (free agency and/or trades) usually don’t pan out, but as someone who has followed the Seahawks since ‘92, I can tell you that it doesn’t always work out when choosing a quarterback early (Rick Mirer), and that it just might work out by getting the lower risk quarterback whether by the draft or by other means (Matt Hasselbeck via trade with Green Bay, and he was chosen in the 6th round by Green Bay).

I know lightning doesn’t usually strike twice in the same place, but who says it can’t? After all, the Patriots found two starting caliber quarterbacks who were back ups in college (Brady and Cassell), why can’t the same be true if the Seahawks were to draft Harrell?

Unfortunately, I don’t really have anything solid to support choosing Harrell later in the draft and bypassing Stafford in the first, other than the fact that he played against some very, very good defenses, much like Stafford did, and he still kicked them in the balls.

That said, why not draft both? As John has said, there will be a time where the Seahawks will not only have to replace Matt Hasselbeck, but Seneca Wallace as well.