Many thought the Hawks might trade the 25th pick to acquire more picks in the later rounds, however that was not the case. The Seahawks opted to select Offensive Tackle James Carpenter from Alabama.
The pick came as a bit of a surprise, as most had Carpenter as an early second round pick, but his versatile skill set was something John Schneider and Pete Carroll could not overlook.
To Continue...“I am glad somebody had faith in me,” Carpenter said.
Carpenter is listed as 6’4, 321 lbs, and is extremely athletic for his size. He will more than likely play right tackle and should make a good addition to a young offensive line. Carpenter blocked for 2009 Heisman Trophy Winner Mark Ingram and was first-team-all-SEC his senior year.
The pick was more surprising because there were other solid players still available. Carpenter’s teammate Mark Ingram, and TCU’s Andy Dalton seemed to be the obvious picks, according to the analysts. But in the end the Hawks chose what they felt was the best option, and I believe the selection definitely improves the line, which has been dreadful in recent years.
This now raises the question, does this pick to strengthen the line mean anything for Matt Hasselbeck? The Hawks chose not to select another quarterback with their pick, however more rounds are still to come.
Another surprise came early on in the draft when the Tennessee Titans selected Jake Locker with the 8th pick. The knock on Locker has always been his accuracy, but the Titans saw too much talent in Locker to pass him up.
Second and third rounds will be held tomorrow starting at 3 p.m.
Reach Ryan Kinney at rkinney20@gmail.com
