If I were JS/MM, the only QBs in the draft I'd want over Sam Howell are Williams, Maye, and Daniels. They won't be available to us at #16. The other QBs I'd consider taking at 16 are JJ McCarthy and Michael Penix. Not Nix. But I'd rather take a stud OL or DL at 16 if we stay there. The QBs will push the draft board to us. Basically we will get a top 10 trenches player that will be a franchise cornerstone for years if we stay put and draft smart. The UW offensive lineman seems like a good bet.
I'd rather roll with Geno, and know we'll probably get top-15 performance this year, and groom Howell for another year, maybe 2. Commies made a mistake in not hanging onto Howell, IMO. Howell is on track for learning to process the field and has the physical traits.
So just NO to trading up to #9 and giving away and 2nd rounder next year, unless it's a draft day on the clock deal IF there's a QB the Hawks love and see as QBOTF, e.g., JJ McCarthy. (I don't know how the Hawks feel about JJ) Even then, it just creates a muddled QB situation and looks bad for JS. The Hawks need good players on rookie contracts, guys who can plug into MM's system on D. I could see the Hawks doing a trade to get in position to draft Penix, but still, muddled.
I think Grubb watched a ton of film on Howell and decided he'd be a good fit for the offense he wants to run, even to the point of foregoing Penix. If we strike gold on Howell, we get an extra year of good-but-cheap QB play after another year of Geno.