The experts have already put the "anal" back in "analysis" with their neverending regurgitations of how they feel Tim Ruskell did this year in the draft, but I'm going to tell you why this is one of the best drafts the team has ever seen.
The depth the 'Hawks acquired this time out is nothing less than outstanding. They addressed every need the roster was missing, and filled some holes that are definitely going to make the team more competitive this year. But I'm getting ahead of myself already, and that's probably because I'm completely wired off my ass for no reason at all at 12:33 a.m. on a Tuesday night (Wednesday morning?) Alas, this is what unemployment does to me.
When it was announced that the first acquisition of the day was some defensive end from USC, my heart sank and I almost spit out my beer in pure shock. "Lawrence Jackson, defensive end from USC," they said, as the crowd fell silent at the sound of the name. Clearly it wasn't registering with anyone, and we hung our heads in disappointment.
"We're doomed," I moaned to my friend Tam, who was sitting with his hands placed behind his head in disbelief. "They really effed this one up."
"Tight end, anyone?!" he said, incredulous.
It was an ugly and scary moment, at least from what we could tell. The powers that be in all things Seahawks had spoken almost non-stop over the past few months about improving the offensive line and filling the gaping hole at tight end. Choosing a defensive end in the first round, in our eyes, was blatantly ignoring all of that. We didn't care how good the guy was. The first thought that came to our minds was, "Um, Kerney and Tapp aren't good enough?"
Then I heard people talk about this kid "Lo Jack" from USC that we'd just taken...
So maybe we were wrong after all. Maybe this guy could be the glue that holds the defense together when Kerney needs a breather. I did forget he's already 30, and Tapp got hurt towards the end of the season. That, and his production went down just a bit. Depth, my friends, is never a bad thing.
Then, in the third round, we got our tight end. The trading-down tactic that Ruskell pulled turned out not to be nearly as frighteningly risky as we thought, because they ended up with what they later told the Seattle Times was their "perfect scenario."
John Carlson, the Notre Dame tight end standout, was chosen over USC's Fred Davis and Purdue's Dustin Keller, and for good reason. It's widely asserted that Carlson is "the more complete tight end," to quote the Seattle PI in a recent draft recap. And after watching some of his highlight reels, I'm a believer.
By the third round, we had had enough time to realize that what Ruskell had done wasn't just something reckless or misguided - it was downright genius. Our offensive line is still a concern, with Branden Albert going off the board to the Kansas City Chiefs before the 'Hawks could get their hands on him, but it doesn't matter much in the end. Mike Wahle should hold up very well for us, and get plenty of good blocks for new runners Julius Jones and TJ Duckett; not to mention plenty of protection for Matt Hasselbeck.
Other holes the team filled were at kicker and long snapper, with a few other later-round picks rounding off other spots such as defensive tackle, running back and fullback - all of which definitely needed to be addressed. Owen Schmitt, the "runaway beer truck" of a fullback who I saw break for a 40-yard rushing TD on a highlight reel on Saturday, really excites the hell out of me especially.
Ruskell came through for the team once again this year, getting an even stronger-on-paper draft class than what they got last year. The versatility and depth of this year's draft in Seattle is exciting, and the fans out here went from yelling at their televisions in sheer confusion to cheering in celebration once more was learned about these picks. It was just a little scary there for a second, but after further scrutiny, this draft wasn't just quality - it could be downright goddamned dangerous.
