Seattle Seahawks: Historical First Round Woes
December 8, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks guard
James Carpenter(77) blocks San Francisco 49ers inside linebacker
Patrick Willis(52) during the fourth quarter at Candlestick Park. The 49ers defeated the Seahawks 19-17. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
In the era of John Schneider and Pete Carroll at the helm for the Seattle Seahawks the first round of the draft has historically not been their strong suit, as they have acquired most of their star talent in the later rounds of the draft.
Lets take a look at the Seahawks first-round picks over the last 5 years:
2009- Aaron Curry, Linebacker, Wake Forest
2010- Russell Okung, Offensive Tackle, Oklahoma State
2010- Earl Thomas, Safety, Texas
2011- James Carpenter, Offensive Guard, Alabama
2012- Bruce Irvin, Defensive End, West Virginia
Aaron Curry fizzled out after only three seasons in Seattle. He then ended up in Oakland and hasn’t played a snap since 2012.
Russell Okung has been a solid tackle for a team so desperately needing help on the offensive line but injuries have stopped him from staying on the field and showing his true potential.
I think Earl Thomas is in contention with Walter Jones for the Seahawks best first-round pick in their history.
James Carpenter since coming into the league has been plagued by injuries and really can’t seem to get healthy. This was a surprise pick for the Seahawks in 2011, and so far he really hasn’t shown why he should have been a first-round draft choice.
Finally, there is the case of Bruce Irvin. During his rookie season he was reasonably effective at the defensive end position. He did find a more nature fit at linebacker in 2013, but there will always be questions as to whether he was worth a first-round pick.
The recent Seahawks first-round draft choices other than Earl Thomas and maybe Russell Okung have all had some questions, and the team may need to start drafting better in the first round if this franchise is going to remain among the elite franchises of the NFL.