Safety looks good among draft picks on Day 2
Published 9:00 pm Sunday, April 21, 2002
By Scott M. Johnson
Herald Writer
KIRKLAND – The second day of the NFL draft didn’t have nearly the allure of the first one.
The Seattle Seahawks selected six players, none of whom were nearly as exciting as first-round pick Jerramy Stevens. In fact, no one picked Sunday seems to have a realistic chance of battling for one of the 22 spots in the starting lineup.
The first Seattle player chosen Sunday was fourth-round pick Terreal Bierria, a safety from the University of Georgia. Bierria could be the Seahawks’ free safety of the future, seeing as though starter Marcus Robertson will turn 33 during the season.
“I would expect Marcus and Reggie (Tongue) to start. Then after that, (Bierria) can come in and really compete, in my opinion,” Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren said. “Further down in the draft, it gets a little more difficult. But this guy can play. He’s a good-looking athlete, a big (6-foot-3) free safety.”
The Seahawks had three fifth-round picks, including one they obtained from Indianapolis in a pre-draft trade of quarterback Brock Huard. That pick was used to select Texas A&M defensive lineman Rocky Bernard. Seattle also added tight end Ryan Hannam (Northern Iowa) and offensive tackle Matt Hill (Boise State) in the fifth round.
Their sixth-round pick was used on Michigan State punter Craig Jarrett, who will push veteran Jeff Feagles for a roster spot. Feagles, 36, is scheduled to make $975,000 in base salary this season, although Holmgren said the salary cap probably wouldn’t factor into the decision.
Seattle chose quarterback Jeff Kelly of Southern Mississippi – Brett Favre’s alma mater – with its seventh-round selection. Kelly is already No. 3 on the team’s depth chart, although it is probable that the Seahawks will add a rookie free agent to the mix in the next week or so.
Overall, Holmgren felt like the Seahawks had another successful draft.
“Our team is not in the same position we were two years ago, where numbers became more important than anything,” he said. “I wanted to draft people that could come in and really have a legitimate shot of making the football team.”
Ready for prime time: Bierria, 21, came out a year early, even though he wasn’t expected to be picked until the latter rounds of the draft. Despite waiting through 109 picks before hearing his name called, Bierria doesn’t regret his decision.
“I said to myself that even if I am picked in the ninth round, I’m not going to regret anything in my life, and I’m not going to second-guess any decision that I made,” Bierria said, apparently unaware that the NFL draft went from 12 to seven rounds in 1993.
Bierria came on at the end of his junior season, so much so that he was drafted ahead of fellow UGa safety Jermaine Phillips (fifth round, Tampa Bay).
Bierria is considered an athletic, but raw player with the potential to develop. Most scouting reports said he could have used another year of college football.
“I felt like it was time for me to move on, and to try a new challenge in my life,” said Bierria, who waited until the Jan. 11 deadline to declare himself eligible for the draft. “God gave me this talent, and I am so grateful that Seattle believed in me.”
The comeback kid: Bernard made a successful return from a season-ending knee surgery on his way to getting drafted.
After a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee forced Bernard to redshirt in 2000, he had his most productive season as a senior, making 69 tackles and five sacks.
“(The injury) made me a more mental player,” Bernard said. “I had to take the year off, and it made me grow and re-evaluate myself and my playing style.”
Bernard is expected to add depth behind John Randle at the ‘three’ defensive tackle position.
Staying close to home: Boise State’s Hill, one of three fifth-round picks, was hoping he would get drafted by the Seahawks for a number of reasons. At the top of the list was proximity, as he was born and raised in Grangeville, Idaho.
“I had a lot of people ask me if I wanted (to play close to home), and my common answer would be, ‘Oh, it doesn’t matter to me,’” Hill said. “But in my heart I wanted to be somewhere close, and Seattle is great.”
Hill is also familiar with Seattle’s coaching staff, having played for them during the Senior Bowl in January. Hill was the only Seahawks draft pick who played in that all-star game, which features many of the top seniors in college football.
UW’s Lowe goes to Miami: The run on local college players that was prevalent on Day 1 of the draft died out Sunday. The only two players from Washington schools selected were UW cornerback Omare Lowe (fifth round, Miami Dolphins) and Eastern Washington’s Lamont Brightful (sixth round, Baltimore Ravens).
Lowe goes to a team that already has two of the top cornerbacks in the AFC, so he will be battling 2001 first-round pick Jamar Fletcher and Terry Cousin for the job as the nickel cornerback.
Among the in-state products who didn’t get drafted were Western Washington University quarterback Scott Mitchell, Washington State wide receiver Nakoa McElrath and running back Dave Minnich, and UW running back Willie Hurst, wide receiver Todd Elstrom, offensive lineman Kyle Benn and defensive lineman Marcus Roberson.
Respecting his elder: Jarrett said he couldn’t wait to get to Seattle to meet the man he called “Mr. Feagles.”
“I’ve grown up with Nintendo, with (Feagles) being the punter,” Jarrett said of Seattle’s 14-year veteran. “This is crazy for me. I don’t even know what to say.”
Asked how much punting he did while playing Nintendo football, Jarrett quipped: “I didn’t even have an offense. I would punt on first down.”
Quick slants: Due to the struggles of Rian Lindell last season, Holmgren said the battle for the placekicking job “will be as open a situation this year as it has ever been, and as it will ever be.” … Linebacker Orlando Huff, a fourth-round pick last year, is slowly making the progression to inside linebacker. He will practice there and outside this season, but Holmgren believes he will be a middle linebacker in the long run. … Now that the draft is over, the team’s priorities are to re-sign fullback Mack Strong, an unrestricted free agent, and work out a long-term deal with franchise player Walter Jones. Holmgren sounded optimistic about getting Strong signed in the near future, while he said the Jones negotiations will likely continue well into training camp.
