KIRKLAND — After the sexiness of the NFL draft’s first two rounds died down, the Seattle Seahawks got down to the business of filling some less exciting needs on Sunday.
The results were a run-stuffer, a kicker and a pile of Schmitts.
Fullback Owen Schmitt of West Virginia and long snapper Tyler Schmitt of San Diego State were among the five players picked by the Seahawks on Sunday. Defensive tackle Joseph “Red” Bryant, running back Justin Forsett and kicker Brandon Coutu rounded out the 2008 draft class.
The Seahawks filled out their class by selecting five players to go along with Day 1 picks Lawrence Jackson of USC and John Carlson of Notre Dame. The intrigue of adding a pass rusher and tight end, respectively, on the first day was replaced by necessity on Day 2.
With their first pick of the draft’s second day, the Seahawks selected Texas A&M’s Bryant in the fourth round.
The 320-pound defensive tackle is known for his run-stuffing, and his impact on the Aggies’ defense was obvious in the stat sheets. In the eight games Bryant played during the 2006 season, Texas A&M’s defense allowed 75.4 rushing yards per outing. In the five games he missed with a knee injury, the Aggies allowed 229.2 rushing yards per game.
“There are some big men who don’t play big,” Seahawks defensive coordinator John Marshall said. “But he plays big, and he plugs things up for you. And that’s what you need.”
Bryant adds depth to a defensive line that enters the 2008 season with a few question marks. Starting defensive tackle Rocky Bernard recently got arrested and charged with domestic violence, while 2004 first-round pick Marcus Tubbs is recovering from knee surgery.
Bryant doesn’t know how he fits, but he’s hoping to eventually prove that the Seahawks got a fourth-round steal.
“It’s tough that so many d-tackles (eight) went before me,” Bryant said. “It’s time to get to work and make them pay. I look at success stories like (Day 2 picks) Jason Taylor and Tom Brady, and those are guys that I want to be like.”
In Round 5, Seattle added West Virginia fullback Owen Schmitt. The 247-pound Schmitt is a punishing blocker who can also catch passes out of the backfield.
But he’s not your typical fullback.
According to his bio, Schmitt’s childhood in Wisconsin included a stint living in a car with his mother, Serena Drangle.
His college haircuts included a shaggy Mohawk and a circular buzz that he called an “O-hawk.” As of Sunday afternoon, he was sporting something he called a “shaved, business hawk.”
“I’m an ugly guy,” Schmitt said in a conference call with Seattle reporters, “so the Mohawk isn’t the thing I had to worry about.”
The Seahawks like Schmitt’s toughness and versatility.
“He can pound it in there and get you tough yards, and he also has good hands,” Seahawks team president Tim Ruskell said.
Another Schmitt was added a round later, addressing one of the Seahawks’ most glaring — but not always discussed — needs. Tyler Schmitt was generally considered to be the best long snapper available, so the snapper-starved Seahawks used a sixth-round pick on him.
“We thought he was a special long snapper,” Ruskell said. “You typically don’t draft a long snapper, but this guy’s an athlete. He has good coverage skills, and he’s a good snapper.”
Last season, the Seahawks went through long snappers Derek Rackley, Boone Stutz and Jeff Robinson but never found stability. Robinson, who turned 38 in February, retired and left Seattle without a single long-snapper on its roster.
Schmitt, a high school defensive end, did not play any other positions at San Diego State. His selection marked the first time in franchise history that the Seahawks drafted a player whose only position is long snapper.
The seventh round brought more special teams help in Cal’s Forsett, who can help right away as a return man but probably won’t challenge for a starting spot, and Georgia’s Coutu.
Coutu is expected to challenge veteran Olindo Mare for kicking duties this season. Former kicker Josh Brown signed with the St. Louis Rams, leaving a huge void at the position.
“We brought (Coutu) in to compete,” Ruskell said. “Olindo has probably never gone into a camp where he didn’t have to compete. Whichever way it falls, we’ll feel good about it.”
For the first time in coach Mike Holmgren’s nine-year tenure, the Seahawks did not draft an offensive lineman. The last time Seattle did not select an offensive lineman was in the 1995 draft.
The Seahawks did not have a third-round pick Sunday because it was dealt to Baltimore so they could move up 17 spots in Round 2. That pick, No. 38 overall, was used on Carlson.
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