Drew Lock gets 1st-team reps--2 of them--Geno Smith all others as Seahawks QB derby starts

Drew Lock took his first steps — and snaps — toward being the Seahawks’ new successor to Russell Wilson.

Yet he still remains behind Geno Smith in the Seahawks’ first quarterback competition in a training camp in 10 years.

Lock, 24, got his first 11-on-11 plays behind the starting offensive line Wednesday in the first practice of training camp. They came on the final series of the day, in the final two minutes of the 90-minute practice. He executed an inside hand-off to starting running back Rashaad Penny. On the next snap he threw a quick screen pass outside onto the hands of running back Travis Homer.

Then offensive linemen shuffled to create a mixed unit of first- and second-teamers. Lock ran the final two plays with that group, too.

The practice ended in a sloppy way that was a reminder Wilson is long gone, to Denver in the massive trade in March. Lock scrambled to his left away from pass rushers who blew past the left edge of the line. He threw an awkward pass deep, but not deep enough, to the other side of the field. The jump ball was nearly intercepted.

And it was illegal. The linesman official threw a penalty flag on Lock, for throwing the ball 2 yards past the line of scrimmage.

That — and the fact that 31-year-old Geno Smith took all but those two snaps with the starting offense in team scrimmaging — showed Lock remains behind Smith as the derby to be Seattle’s new quarterback begins in earnest.

“Really solid,” is how coach Pete Carroll described Smith vs. Lock on camp day one. “This was the first chance they got to see anybody rushing (at them), so they got moved a little bit, which was great,” Carroll said. “Saw a couple good scrambles. Saw them move around a little bit. It just starts to make it real.

“Seven-on-seven evaluations...that’s just playing catch. We had a better look today. And we will just start adding up the days.”

Smith missed on throws Wednesday, too. He way overthrew Freddie Swain on a go route down the left sideline against no defenders in a group drill.

Lock, 8-13 as a starter in parts of three seasons with the Broncos, then matched Smith, throwing far past Tyler Lockett on another deep go route in the same drill.

Smith, the New York Jets’ starter nine years ago and backup to Wilson the last three Seahawks seasons, threw behind speedy wide receiver Marquise Goodwin on a shallow drag route in team scrimmaging. Goodwin twisted back to get a hand on the errant pass. The ball deflected into the arms of starting cornerback Sidney Jones for a gift interception.

It wasn’t all bad Wednesday.

Smith moved nimbly away from pass rushers and hit Lockett on his chest on the receiver’s signature improvisational, break-off route away from Jones for a completion they will have to make when the games get real. Especially with the offensive line perhaps starting two rookies at offensive tackle and having three of five new starters this season.

Cody Thompson, the number-two wide receiver with DK Metcalf not practicing in search of a new contract and with Dee Eskridge having what Carroll called a tight hamstring, came back to Smith to catch a pass on another deft scramble throw and route.

Lock had a pretty, arching pass down the right sideline in stride to rookie wide receiver Bo Melton. Jones made a better play, staying with Melton and leaping to bat away Lock’s throw.

“They are not exactly the same, but they are both big guys who can throw and run,” Carroll said of Smith and Lock.

“We are going to bomb it. We are going to do all the things we love doing. We just have to see how the competition plays itself out.

“Geno’s in the lead, right now. And he’s ahead, and he ain’t lookin’ back. He’s going for it. Drew’s not going to take a back seat.

“So something is going to happen here. ...It’s going to be exciting to see.”

The 70-year-old Carroll is too wise to answer this: When before Seattle’s season opener Sept. 12 against Wilson’s Broncos does he need to settle this competition at the sport’s most important position?

“Yes,” Carroll said. “Yeah, yeah.

“You WILL NOT nail me on that.

“We’ve got to do everything. We’ve got to let the competition show itself. You’ll see. You’ll see how that goes.”