KIRKLAND – When asked about his Seattle Seahawks’ current location as the No. 23 pick in the first round of this weekend’s NFL draft, coach Mike Holmgren was quick to drop a familiar line about wanting the 32nd overall pick.
That, of course, would mean that the Seahawks were coming off a Super Bowl win.
But the coach just might be on to something. Trading out of the 23rd spot might not be a bad option for a team that hasn’t had much luck picking in the 20s recently.
While the Seahawks have found guys like Koren Robinson, Shaun Alexander, Steve Hutchinson and Marcus Trufant with higher picks, the 20s have treated this team kind of like an aging child television star.
Lamar King went with the 22nd selection in the 1999 draft.
Chris McIntosh was the 22nd pick in the 2000 draft.
And while it’s still early to put a label on Jerramy Stevens, the 28th pick in the 2002 draft hasn’t done anything to warrant a first-round selection yet.
Of course, those are just the 20-something picks of the Holmgren era. To show how long this franchise has suffered, the Seahawks held a pick in the 20s only two other times in team history: 1996 (guard Pete Kendall) and 1984 (cornerback Terry Taylor).
While those two picks had some success, recent selections in the latter part of the first round haven’t turned out quite as well.
“There’s a little less certainty in terms of how much impact and how good a player that player can be,” Seahawks vice president of football operations Ted Thompson said of players drafted around No. 23. “It doesn’t mean you won’t get just as good a player, maybe a better player, than somebody picked at (No.) 2. (But) the time you’re doing it, you may not feel quite as 100 percent confident about it.”
Part of the challenge of picking No. 23 is that very few top players at their position will still be around. The Seahawks’ top needs appear to be defensive tackle, middle linebacker and safety, but they’ll be lucky if any of the most highly-regarded players at those positions falls to them.
Miami middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma has a chance to slide to 23rd overall, but the New Orleans Saints (No. 18) and Minnesota Vikings (No. 19) will get first cracks at him – and both like Vilma a lot.
Top defensive tackles Tommie Harris (Oklahoma) and Vince Wilfork (Miami) are also expected to be taken, so Seattle might have to look at players like Florida State’s Darnell Dockett, Texas’ Marcus Tubbs and Maryland’s Randy Starks at that position.
As for safety, the cream of the crop is Miami’s Sean Taylor, a likely top-10 pick. None of the other safeties are expected to go in the first round.
If Seattle opts for offense, the most likely position of upgrade would be tackle. They like their young backups, Matt Hill and Wayne Hunter, but are always looking for help because Walter Jones is a frequent training camp no-show and Chris Terry has had past problems with league suspensions. That position is sort of like safety in that the far-and-away top guy, Iowa’s Robert Gallery, will be long gone when Seattle picks.
The last time Seattle took an offensive lineman in the 20s, it looked like the Seahawks might have locked up their right tackle position for years to come. But McIntosh suffered a neck stinger in 2001 that eventually forced him to retire from football.
King, the 22nd overall pick in the 1999 draft, has also suffered through a myriad of injuries, resulting in surgeries on his calf and knee. He is currently an unrestricted free agent but hasn’t garnered much attention on the market. There is a possibility that King could be back, although it would be a battle for him just to make the roster.
Stevens reported four days late for his first training camp and later suffered a high ankle sprain that cost him four games in the 2002 regular season. His problems only got worse last summer, when a reckless driving charge and subsequent parole violation landed him in jail for seven days.
Stevens’ career has never really taken off, as his 32 career receptions are 57 fewer than teammate Itula Mili over the past two seasons.
The unfortunate fates of all three first-round picks could be passed off to bad luck, although Stevens had a long criminal record before the draft and King had question marks because of his level of competition at tiny Saginaw Valley State.
Had they had a chance to do it again, the Seahawks may have taken Ohio State cornerback Antoine Winfield or Tennessee middle linebacker Al Wilson in the 1999 first round. Maybe the 2000 draft could have helped them shore up the NFL’s worst run defense by selecting Boston College defensive tackle Chris Hovan or Syracuse linebacker Keith Bulluck.
And as for 2002? Guard LeCharles Bentley and running back Clinton Portis, both Pro Bowlers, went in the second round that year.
But that’s all using 20-20 hindsight. Wouldas, couldas and shouldas.
This time around, the Seahawks are content to pick at 23 instead of somewhere at the top of the draft.
“The key is not to get discouraged by not picking in the top 10,” Holmgren said. “It’s a very exciting thing to have the fourth pick in the draft on draft day. But that’s the only day it’s exciting. Because that means for seven months out of the year, you’re miserable. Totally miserable.”
The No. 23 pick in the past three drafts have brought Miami running back Willis McGahee (Buffalo), West Virginia linebacker Napoleon Harris (Oakland) and Mississippi running back Deuce McAllister (New Orleans). So Holmgren isn’t too worried about a lack of talent available.
“We’re going to get a good football player with the first pick,” he said. “I really can’t tell you right now who that will be.”
FOR MONDAY:
2004 NFL draft
Saturday (Rounds 1 through 3) and Sunday (Rounds 4 through 7)
TV: ESPN, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. Sunday
ESPN2, 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday
Seahawks: Have seven picks, including No. 23 in the first round
Top five offensive tackles
1, Robert Gallery, Iowa
2, Shawn Andrews, Arkansas
3, Jacob Rogers, USC
4, Nat Dorsey, Georgia Tech
5, Kelly Butler, Purdue
Summary: Some experts are calling Gallery the prize of this year’s draft. Andrews also has first-round talent, while the others might find sneak into the back of the first round because of need at the position.
Seahawks’ outlook: The Walter Jones situation is always precarious, and Chris Terry has been suspended twice. Even though Seattle likes its depth with Matt Hill, Wayne Hunter and guard Floyd Womack, the Seahawks might add another body to the mix just in case.
Top five guards/centers
1, G Vernon Carey, Miami
2, G Justin Smiley, Alabama
3, C Jake Grove, Virginia Tech
4, G Chris Snee, Boston College
5, C Alex Stepanovich, Ohio State
Summary: If you like interior linemen, don’t bother tuning in for the first round. Most of these guys will go in Round 2 and later, but there are some solid players in the mix.
Seahawks’ outlook: Robbie Tobeck and Chris Gray aren’t getting any younger. Although the Seahawks plan to take a long look at Womack inside, they might add another young body to the roster.
Tomorrow: A look at the draft’s wide receivers and tight ends.
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