The Seattle Seahawks have drafted just one quarterback since Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider took over in 2010: Russell Wilson.

There was a lot of buzz during the pre-draft process this year that they were doing homework on quarterbacks. But the draft came and went without them selecting one.

There was an alternative scenario, however, where the Seahawks could have picked a quarterback early. And the selection would have become one of the biggest storylines of the draft.

Patrick Mahomes was already selected by the Chiefs, who moved up to No. 10 to get him, before the Seahawks' turn at No. 26. AP Photo/David J. Phillip

Both NFL Network and ESPN Insider's Mike Sando have reported that the Seahawks would have considered Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes had he fallen to the No. 26 pick. The Kansas City Chiefs ended up trading up to No. 10 and drafting Mahomes, so the Seahawks never got close to having to make a decision. But it's still an interesting "what-if" to consider.

"I've always thought you have to have one in the chamber and have a guy who is getting ready, and it just hasn't gone that way for us," Schneider said before the draft.

"We know the quarterbacks and the level of play and the upside we've seen and how they are going to fit with us, and it just hasn't matched up from a round standpoint. That doesn't mean that it wouldn't happen."

Had Mahomes slipped, the Seahawks would have faced an intriguing decision. On the one hand, there's plenty of wisdom to the idea of drafting a quarterback even if it's not a need. Wilson suffered three different injuries last year. He's never missed a game, but having a capable backup is important.

We see every year that quarterbacks present the most valuable assets in the NFL. If Mahomes came in and played well for a few games as a rookie, his trade value would be enormous.

On the other hand, how would Wilson have responded? He's only 28 and under contract through 2019. He'd never admit it, but would Wilson have been annoyed if the team had used a first-round pick on a quarterback instead of another area of the roster like offensive line?

A similar question could be posed to the other veterans on the team. There are guys like Michael Bennett, Doug Baldwin and Richard Sherman who know the championship window won't be open forever and want to win now. It would have been interesting to see their reaction had the first-round pick been spent on a quarterback.

Ultimately, the Seahawks went through the draft without taking a quarterback for the seventh time in eight years. Trevone Boykin is currently slated to back Wilson up, and the team is expected to add West Virginia's Skyler Howard as an undrafted free agent. They could sign a veteran at some point as well.

Mahomes in Seattle would have been a fascinating story line all summer long. Instead, it's just another what-if to keep filed away going forward.