You’ve all been asking if the Seahawks will draft a quarterback.

Even with the near-certainty that Geno Smith would remain QB1, the idea of grabbing a quarterback out of this passer-rich class thoroughly excites the Seahawk Nation.

Hell, even when the news broke Monday that Smith would be sticking around on a three-year deal that could reach $105 million …

You STILL remain fixated on the draft.

If selecting a rookie quarterback to learn the craft while backing up Geno is actually what you’re wondering about, then you’ve been asking the wrong question.

What you want to know is whether Pete Carroll and John Schneider might actually throw in all their chips and select a quarterback with that No. 5 overall pick.

There are mock drafts floating around – some published by people who really know the NFL — that suggest Seattle will take Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud with that fifth pick.

Assuming Stroud is available at that spot, and further believing that Carroll is willing to pass up a defensive stud he really, really needs …

Stroud actually makes sense.

IS IT realistic that the Hawks would pull the trigger on a quarterback with a pick that high?

Yes, in one sense.

Seriously.

Stroud is the perfect QB for Carroll’s ball-security offense — incredibly accurate, poised, and not given to making crazy, off-schedule plays.

In fact, Stroud is a younger, perhaps more talented version of Geno Smith, and we know Pete loves a quarterback who can manage a game, and take care of the football.

Schneider said something during the NFL Combine last week that makes great sense.

Asked why you might use the fifth overall pick on a quarterback, Schneider replied: “They don’t grow on trees.”

Indeed, they don’t.

The Seahawks very likely won’t have another chance to land Smith’s successor, a big-time QB who could very well inherit the starting job in 2024.

As solid as Geno proved to be last season, he doesn’t have that “Wow!” factor that separates good quarterbacks from the elite.

Three or four QBs in this draft DO have that electricity, the special magic that can get you to a Super Bowl.

Stroud is one of them, and his skills match Pete Carroll’s notion of winning football.

Pete would love Alabama’s Bryce Young, too, but it’s pretty much a lock that Young will be gone when Seattle goes on the clock.

On the other hand, quarterbacks with stunning gifts but who seem miles away from calmly running an NFL offense …

Uh, they don’t fit the Carroll mold.

As spectacular as Florida’s Anthony Richardson and Kentucky’s Will Levis could be down the road, it’s hard to see a match with the Seahawks.

Although …

Richardson is a 6-4, 244-pound monster who would fit wonderfully into a remodeled Seattle running attack.

That would be some kind of fun, yes?

The truth, though, is that if the Seahawks do take a quarterback in this draft, it’s probably going to be somewhere around the third round — or later.

Several mock drafts have Seattle taking Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker, gambling on a dynamic thrower who’s available further down the draft because he’s coming off knee surgery.

That’s the kind of QB pick the Seahawks have traditionally made.

Carroll believes you win with defense and a conservative offense, so …

WHEN THE Seahawks pass on all the quarterbacks at No. 5 and take a defensive impact player like edge rusher Tyree Wilson of Texas Tech, remember Carroll’s philosophy.

He believes right down to his soul in what he calls “complementary football,” matching a dominant defense with a solid running game, occasional home run passes, and terrific special teams.

That’s the story of Geno Smith being re-signed.

Pete wants a quarterback who will view the game the way he does — which is why, among other reasons, he was more than willing to unload Russell Wilson (for two or three years before it happened).

I suppose there’s an outside chance that the Hawks could take a quarterback with that fifth pick — Schneider has been known to fall in love with certain young QBs.

It would be a spectacular move if it happened, but …

I can’t picture Pete letting a defensive game-changer get away, simply to draft a backup quarterback.

The Seahawks need major help in that front seven, and they’re not going to be making deep playoff runs until they get it done.

They play in the same division as the 49ers, remember.

But hey, we can still enjoy a shot of adrenaline as Seattle hands in that No. 5 pick.

I mean, a guy like Richardson would be shooting for the moon.

Want to give us a thrill, Pete?

Email: scameron@cdapress.com

Steve Cameron’s “Cheap Seats” columns appear in The Press four times each week, normally Tuesday through Friday unless, you know, stuff happens.

Steve suggests you take his opinions in the spirit of a Jimmy Buffett song: “Breathe In, Breathe Out, Move On.”