KIRKLAND – The Seattle Seahawks took most of the intrigue out of next weekend’s NFL draft back in September, when they unveiled the identity of their upcoming first-round pick.
With the 24th overall selection in the 2007 draft, the Seahawks select … wide receiver Deion Branch, University of Louisville.
Last September’s trade brought a lot of buzz to the early season, but it didn’t do much for the excitement regarding next weekend’s draft.
After acquiring Branch from New England in exchange for a first-round draft pick, the Seahawks will have to wait until late in the second round – the 55th overall pick – to make a splash next Saturday.
And that’s just fine with team president Tim Ruskell.
“He’s the only draft choice with a Super Bowl MVP (award),” Ruskell said. “… Would we love to have the first-round pick? Absolutely. We salivate at some of the guys that’ll be there around where our (first-round) pick is.
“But we don’t dwell on it. We’re excited about what’s going to be there in the second (round), and we’re glad to have Deion.”
If Ruskell doesn’t sound too concerned about his team’s lack of a first-round pick, it’s because he’s not. He said the team will find quality players in the other rounds, and added that the Seahawks are not desperate to fill any starting roles.
“We don’t have a pressing (need) in terms of a starter,” Ruskell said. “The year we took Lofa (Tatupu), we didn’t have anyone there (at middle linebacker); the cupboard was bare.
“That’s not the case this year. We’re covered, and now we can just concentrate on depth.”
Tight end, guard and defensive tackle appear to be the biggest areas of need, but Ruskell is confident that the team already has starting-caliber players at each of those positions. He tabbed veteran addition Marcus Pollard as a possible starter at tight end, and said that the re-signing of 36-year-old guard Chris Gray gives the team a viable starter at that position.
At defensive tackle, the Seahawks have proven players in Chartric Darby, Rocky Bernard and Russell Davis. But the microfracture surgery performed on former first-round pick Marcus Tubbs’ knee in January leaves reason for concern.
Ruskell said Friday that Tubbs is ahead of schedule in his recovery, adding that he might have a chance of participating in training camp.
One position that doesn’t need much help is wide receiver, where the addition of Branch to an already-deep corps has given the Seahawks plenty of options.
And as for those Darrell Jackson trade rumors? Ruskell said Friday that they’re just that – rumors.
“We’re going to see Darrell at the minicamps,” Ruskell said of the veteran wide receiver. “We’re just moving forward. There was certainly more talk about it than what was actually going on.”
The last time the Seahawks did not have a first-round pick was in 1988, because that choice was exercised in the previous year’s supplemental draft selection of linebacker Brian Bosworth. Seattle used its second-round pick in 1988 on wide receiver Brian Blades.
The only other year the Seahawks started off their draft in Round 2 was 1985, when Owen Gill was selected in the second round after the team traded its No. 1 pick for veteran center Blair Bush.
Notes: The Seahawks signed veteran center Austin King to serve as a backup to Chris Spencer and also received signed tenders from restricted free agents Niko Koutouvides and D.J. Hackett. Ruskell said that the rest of Seattle’s restricted free agents, including starting tackle Sean Locklear, are expected to sign within the coming days. … The Seahawks have seven total picks in next weekend’s draft, with two selections in Round 6 and one each in Rounds 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7.
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