Written by Kip Earlywine
Man, I don’t even know where to begin.
I love this pick. I love, love, love this pick, in the sense that, had we added him at #75, I’d have been all over it. If it had happened #43, I would have been completely supportive. But at #15? Man, I’m not even sure how I should feel. It’s complicated.
I actually watched this draft at Big Al’s in Vancouver. I showed up 90 minutes early to grab the best seat. Portland’s top sports station, 1080 the fan, was doing a live draft party there. When I first got there, the place was almost totally empty, but Isaac and Big Suke were right there doing their broadcast about 75 feet away from me. I almost walked up to them just so I could impress them by calling Courtney Upshaw at #12 an hour before the draft had even started, but something held me back. I was SURE that Upshaw was going to the pick, I would have bet everything I owned on it. But I decided not to because I didn’t want them to think I was some pompous ass. Obviously, I made the right call by staying put, and not for the reason I had anticipated.
As the draft got closer, the place quickly became packed, and a lot of different teams were represented. There was still a pretty strong number of Seahawks fans though. When the 15th pick signaled “the pick is in” and Goodell approached the podium, there was a small uproar of clapping, cheering and excitement. Then the name “Bruce Irvin” was read. The room went completely quiet. I’ll never forget that moment.
As far as Irvin goes, man, this pick makes me feel so confused emotionally. I’d use this analogy for those that follow the Mariners at USSMariner. A few years back, Dave Cameron wrote his popular offseason plan just before that offseason began. Part of that plan highlighted Miguel Batista as a good free agent pitching signing. Then the offseason began, and the Mariners went out and signed Miguel Batista… for about triple the amount of money Cameron thought Batista was going to get. Suddenly Cameron had no idea how to react, because the Mariners had targeted a player he liked, but paid way too much in doing so.
That’s pretty much exactly how I feel about Bruce Irvin at #15. Not because Irvin can’t justify such lofty draft position, but because it at least feels like they could have had him so much later. I didn’t see a single mock that had Irvin anywhere in the first round, and I only saw a few that had him going in the 2nd. Most people had Irvin graded in the rounds three to four region.
That said, if you take draft stock out of the equation, there were just two players in the draft that I badly wanted to be Seahawks. Those two players? Russell Wilson and Bruce Irvin. I’ve been saying for a while, not here but on message boards, that I badly wanted to see the Seahawks pull some strings and find a way to get Irvin and or Wilson in the mid rounds somehow. So while I’m not crazy about the price tag, I couldn’t be happier that we got the player we did. I’m going to laugh if Seattle goes and takes Russell Wilson in the 2nd round, that is if my head doesn’t explode first.
I talked before about how I had a bit of a “curse” going with highlighting Seahawks options and how the front office always seemed to avoid those players. In 2010, I covered fifty or sixty likely options, and only one was drafted by Seattle. Last year I covered a dozen or so “Tom Cable” prospects- none of them were named James Carpenter or John Moffitt. This year I covered a ton of running backs, quarterbacks, and linebackers. There were only three other players from any other position that I covered in my scouting reports series. Those three players were Michael Egnew, Jonathan Massaqoui, and, would you believe it, Bruce Irvin. What a weird way for the curse to reverse itself.
Anyway, if you missed it, you can read my scouting report on Irvin from the link in the previous paragraph. One person compared him to Rufus Porter, a Seahawk from the late 80s and early 90s that for a brief time was an undersized sack machine for us. To me, Irvin is RG3 the pass rusher. He’s got 10-15 sack a year potential, but he’s got more red flags than any pass rusher in the draft. He’s boom or bust to the extreme. Maybe I’ll have more to say about him later, but if nothing else, I’ll end this for now by saying that Irvin is going to be a very exciting player to watch the next few years.
I actually have a lot more thoughts on this. I might have a larger post about day 1 of the draft later tonight.
I am flabbergasted, Maybe these guys are just way smarter than we thought. I sure hope so. I will give them the benefit of the doubt because they have earned it though. Hopefully we knock it out of the park on day two and three.
Odds of Upshaw in round 2?
Florio reporting atleast 7 teams had Irvin in their top15 overall while Courtney Upshaw is still on the board… I think we made the right move…
I think Pete was pretty transparent when he told us this week that the primary requirement for an edge rusher was speed. This guy is fast for a DB. Upshaw and Hightower were probably too slow to be considered as edge rushers and Ingram probably wouldn’t be a great fit playing on the LoS. In retrospect, the pick makes sense (however unlikely it seemed in the run-up).
I think we’d be a lot less surprised about this pick if he’d had the week or two of hype that Chandler Jones (another toolsy, raw player) has had.
Kip,
For what it’s worth, we (you and me) are on exactly the same wave-length: the Bruce Irvin and Russell Wilson one.
I never would have predicted the pick, though, not in the first. I thought Seattle would find him there easily at the 11th pick in the second, high still for a lot of people, but for me I thought about right, given what I took to be Irvin’s unique appeal to PC.
After those two, I am hoping for David. Those’d were my top three (although I thought Seattle would draft Kuechly at 12, if he was there, if they didn’t trade down, but that was mostly because I thought Kuechly the best option of those available – again, assuming Irvin available in the second).
See, that’s the thing. You and Rob were so certain that the pass-rush would be addressed in the first round (and you were right) but I thought Irvin the best pass rusher in the draft, and would be available later. So I was also right – sort of.
Hopefully Upshaw is high on the Seahawks board for round 2 and they trade up to the colts pick and get him then. He can still play elephant 😛 You guys really had me going too on the Upshaw pick and it was a complete shock not hearing his name or at least Ingrams. I believe that Bruce Irvin will be a solid pick up, but not positive he is worth a first round pick, not to mention a 15 pick. Let’s hope he is worth it and we get Upshaw =D
Lombardi reported that the 49ers would have taken him, and I trust PFT.
Ben, not only did PC emphasize speed and the need to improve the pass-rush, he also out-and-out told the reporters that their draft strategy would be surprise.
And boy was it.
I am confused too Kip. If he fits the scheme, and fills a specific role, fine. But why use such a high pick on a totally situational player? I have a feeling we could have had DeCastro AND either Irvin or Upshaw. This pick could really come back to bite Carroll/Schnieder in the butt. As I watched every pick in round 1, I could see the logic in most teams’ selections. Not so with the Hawks. It seems like a total reach for need, rather than an addition of the best talent available to increase the overall quality of the roster. The Hawks aren’t good enough to make moves like that. We aren’t one player away. I thought the Hawks reached for Carpenter last year too, but at least I could see the logic behind the choice. This makes two years in a row that my immediate reaction has been WTF?!?!
1. Pete and John got us two extra picks so YEAH for that! Let’s see what those picks get us.
2. His push better be just as good as quick as Vonn Miller, Charles Haley and Chris Doleman as what Pete said in his post draft comments about Irvin. They see him as a strong replacement and contributor as Clemmons. His only job is to rush and if his quickness is causes a lot of havoc then the double teams will open other opportunities for Clemmons and other teammates on Defense.
3. Somehow the pick did not surprise. Rumor has it Vinny Curry and Bruce Irvine were higher on the Hawks board than Coples and Ingram. Surprising those two picks did not go higher than expected.
4. This pick is a huge win for the hawks or the typical first round duds like Own Gill, Aaron Curry, Lawrence Jackson, etc…
Good luck to Irvin and let’s see what Pete and John have for the rest of the rounds 2-7.
Bobby Guzzler
TJ, this could be a for the future pick, he will obviously play in passing downs but the matter is, maybe he will replace Clemons if we dont resign him.
They wanted a speed rusher, and Irvin was easily the best guy off the edge in the entire draft. It’s surprising that they took him this early, but at the same time it probably shouldn’t have been. They showed last year they didn’t care about where players were supposed to go when they “reached” for Carpenter, Moffit and Wright. Pete saw Irvin as the best option, and if you have seen the potential he has as a pass rusher, that should be exciting. I can easily see him dropping 8-9 sacks this year without being exploited in the running game, which is probably more than you could have expected from Coples/Ingram.
Now I’m wondering if this will effect where they go with linebacker. Do they still want someone like Zach Brown he is lightning quick off the edge?
Just watch Irvin throw up 12 sacks next year and PC and JS are hailed as geniuses. I am getting more excited about this pick the deeper I dig.
I like the player. I thought that when Coz fell to 12 I thought he was going to be the pick. Bruce Irvin if he has the Charles Haley type get off we have a stud. He is raw but with proper coaching he will be able to get the technique down. You can’t teach speed and explosion and this guy has it unlike Upshaw.
Round 2. Would love to see Alshon Jeffrey or Kendricks or Lavonte David. Zach Brown would be another speed guy to the defense. Peter Konz surprised he had not been picked. Would be another good pick can play guard or center.
For me I would like
2 – Jeffrey
3 – Osweiler or Kirk Cousins
4 – Cyrus Gray
4 – Senio Kelemente
6 – Josh Kaddu
You gotta love Pete & John. Every single pass rusher in this draft was available to the Seahawks: Ingram, Coples, Jones, Mercilus, Perry, Upshaw, McClellin… Seattle literally had its pick, and Pete & John go outer-space outside the box! They said on Monday that they wanted a speed rusher, and somehow none of us understood this to mean that they did indeed want the fastest pass rusher in football.
In addition to Florio as noted above, I read at least a couple of other analysts, when giving their surprise picks this week, who said that Irvin was top 20 material. But I believe that only pro football scouts, and not the talking head analysts, nor certainly none of us amateurs, knew what to look for or how to look. Can’t wait to see him on the launching pad with the 12th man giving him his countdown. Then we’ll see if John & Pete knew what they were doing.
The more I read the more I like this pick. You can’t just assume that because the ESPN “experts” said he wasn’t top 15 doesn’t mean he wasn’t worth it. Apparently a lot of other teams had him rated high. I don’t mind “reaching” with the first pick to get the exact guy PC/JS want, especially due to the fact that they will be incredibly smart the rest of the draft. Hell, Upshaw might even fall to us still in rd2. If not, this FO has shown me enough ability to evaluate talent that I assume they have their “value” placed in their later picks. As long as they take a LB/RB in whatever order with the next two picks I will be pretty damn pleased.
I too would LOVE Russel Wilson with one of those 4th or 6th rounders.
Here’s hoping/trusting Pete and John know what they are doing.
GO HAWKS!
However, the whole “troubled past” red flag does kinda worry me, as high character guys were what I thought was of huge importance to PC/JS. I dunno, maybe this dude just got a raw deal in life; sometimes sh*t happens. Here’s hoping he doesn’t screw up.
I wonder if JS/PC are surprised Upshaw is still available? it’s not going to cost to move up in the 2nd. If the speculation is right about us really like upshaw, then we will most definitely move up tomorrow and get him. STL and INDY don’t strike me as likely landing spots, but BAL at 2(3) looks like where it would be.
Kevin – I could see that. This video makes me feel a little better.
http://blog.thenewstribune.com/seahawks/2012/04/26/carroll-irvin-the-best-pure-pass-rusher-in-the-draft/
So the strategy in rounds 2-4 is to……? We have the 11th pick in round 2. Could Upshaw drop that far? How about Jerel Worthy, Mike Adams, Peter Konz, Brandon Thompson, Devon Still, or Jonathon Martin. They have all been talked about as potential 1st round talent.
You have to see his Jr year film. He was badly misused last year and his production fell, but when used as we will use him, he was an absolute beast. I’ve been telling friends I love Irvin and hope we pick him in the 2nd or 3rd. I didn’t see him going in the 1st but I’m glad he’s a Hawk. JS/PC obviously didn’t feel safe moving back more and still getting him so they popped him early. Reports are starting to sound like they knew what they were doing.
Well that was… unexpected. But as already stated, speed and pass rush it was said and speed and pass rush it was.
A new shiny toy, yay!
Kip… For once ypu got the pick… You should feel pretty good about that… If Irvin gives us 10 sacks next year, no one thinks this was a reach… But the talk about Irwin just before the draft, was in the end of 1. round. If the Hawks wanted him, they´ed better take him or else he was gone before our 2. pick….
Well Kip people all over the place were wrong, sort of. You can’t blame people for telling what they are hearing. Now we must at least consider that Pete, a savy internet guy, has locked down info to “need to know” and possibly “you’ll never know” even in the VMAC.
The record trading rate (and it’s not over), is the bigger story. The draft has changed for the duration of this CBA.
It is possible Upshaw can be attained yet but it looks unlikely with Irvin now on board and them passing on him twice. The lack of speed killed him for now.
I did not like the pick at first. After watching film of Irvin, I still don’t like the pick much. I love it! This kid is a pass rushing freak from the outside. Yes, he is a one trick pony and all he will really do is be a 3rd down specialist, which is fine with me. If he gets us sacks in the 8 -10 (or more) range, I’ll be estatic.
Exciting times. It isn’t a sexy or trendy pick, but if it works, WHO CARES, right?
This more I think about it the more excited I am for this pick. Bruce Irvin is going to be a monster for us. In hindsight I don’t see why he didn’t get more hype, his physical tools are off the charts, good production too and this while playing out of position, without a lot of help.
Whether or not it works out, this was an effort to get an impact player, and it seems reasonable that Irvin has that potential.
Thank God not another offensive lineman.
Irvin is not top 20 material – that was a smoke screen. We could have picked Coples/ingram/Upshaw and got Irvin in the second round.
It’s like PC is hunting for late round talent in the first. I love Irvin but we could have traded Way our first round entirely and still picked him and an extra player in the second. I just hope he works out at lb because we have a lot more problems to address.
Rob or Kip, according to the video that TJ posted above, do they picture Irvin as there elephant?
I must admit I was a little stunned as well as we had 3 players Coples, Ingram and Upshaw all sitting there. I hope this does not come back and bite us in the rear. SD, I think will love Ingram, Upshaw is still available and did drop big time just like many late round draft picks forecasted. Coples, goes to a team know for player busts so I think he will bust in NY. Upshaw, Jeffrey, and many of the other LB’s we discussed are available in round 2. DE or more speed at LB make sense as could a RB. I would like insurance at WR (Jeffrey) but think the Colts might grab him. The two 4th will probably be used for a QB and maybe V Burfict as we know Pete is not afraid of personal issues. I feel like we need some defensive excitement and Irvin just did not do it for me at this position. Lots of potential, and lots of potential to really upgrade. Let’s go Seahawks.
Burficts going undrafted
“A lot of people said that he could be feeding us bad info to throw us off. I told those people that they didn’t know what they were talking about. But now the day has come, and even if they really didn’t know what they were talking about, it turned out they were right.”
Thanks for acknowledging that.
Listen, you don’t have to go to a source to have a feel for who the Hawks wanted. I watched every pre-draft press conference and that’s why I felt so strongly against the Hawks picking Upshaw like Kip and Rob were so sold on. The last press conference had me thinking Ingram, but either way you could tell they were looking for a speed rusher. This may have been a bit of a reach, but you can’t deny he has the measurables, production, and competitive drive to thrive on the Hawks as a pass-rushing beast.
Ryan I will put a Heineken on that.
Clayton, you’re on. He isn’t worth the risk. besides we will have already filled LB needs before we would ever take him.
as for tomorrow. I think we should trade UP for David. He is 1st round talent. Polk/Turbin after that
What is the cap on saying if Irvin was worth the 15th pick? (Sack, TKL, TKFL, etc)
Per PFT: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/26/at-least-seve-teams-had-bruce-irvin-in-top-15/
I watched the JS/PC interview and they stated Irvin would not drop into coverage much at all for them and would play the LEO spot. They thought about trading down again from 15 as they had three guys left on their board they liked, but didn’t want to get “too cute” and didn’t want to miss Irvin as they felt he was too special a fit for their scheme. Ideal scheme fit they said.
8.5 Sack, 20-30 TKL, 2 FF maybe?
This post reminded me of a very similar situation that took place at Seattle Sonics draft “party” at EMP in 2006. Just about everyone in the room was convinced the front office was going to spend a pick on a 4-year college post player, like Patrick O’Bryant or Hilton Armstrong. About 10 minutes before the draft I began chatting with some suits and told them that after watching this team pick Robert Swift and Johan Petro, I knew they were going to blow it by picking Mohammad Sene. It’s the only draft pick I’ve ever gotten right, and man, when they announced the pick, that room when eerily silent. Never seen a ‘party’ empty out so quick.
As for Irvin, I couldn’t be happier. While he has his risks and red flags etc, I believe his floor is quite a bit higher then many are making it out to be. For one thing, he may be light, but he will not be the liability against the run that people are making him out to be. He’s a sure tackler, but most importantly, running backs will not be able to beat him in a footrace to the edge, which is where a lot of DE’s get hung out to dry.
So the obvious response is, well, he’ll get eaten up by blockers. But you can be damn sure Pete will not put him in situations where he’s facing more than 1 blocker, and as soon as Irvin reads run, he’ll just have to back off any blockers coming his way and play edge-contain, something a 6’3” 248lbs man with 4.46 speed should be able to do just fine.
It’s understandable to be upset that the Seahawks didn’t take one of the ‘big three’ pass rushers, but at the same time, after spending weeks identifying each of their faults ad nauseam, it’s actually a tad refreshing to step away from the trio, the only one of which actually excited me being Upshaw. But to call this, or any pick, a reach? That’s to assume there exists a consensus of where a player should go and we all know thinking that would be blatantly foolhardy.
For franchises such as the one being piloted by PC/JS, the only numbers that matter after draft day are the ones produced on the field in the NFL. PC/JS view draft picks like they do Paul Allen’s money- just another resource for acquiring the talent they need to win forever.
Ryan, I think David, Upshaw, Lewis and Brown could all potential be there. As for Burfict, someone is going to take a chance on him (Raiders, Ravens, Seahawks, Jets, Eagles and Steelers) Do I get bonus for one of those teams?
Polk and Turbin would be interesting but I still say a little high for the 2nd. I would prefer either another DE , LB or WR, as I would not be surprised if Irvin lined up as an OLB on some downs.
Above all I like the fact their is a lot of Defensive help on the board and we have extra picks.
I was thinking the same number of sacks.
As a team I hope we can really be aggressive pressing the QB, which would increase the INTS for our DB and S. Fifty sacks as a D would be great.
we definitely need to pressure the QB. I remember reading somewhere that Big Red was wanting to up his sacks this year too. If he was a sack threat, our line would be SCARY. I think CB is another consideration in the next few rounds
Alaska Hawk-
Michael Lombardi reported (prior to the draft) that a team in the lower third of the draft order flew in Irvin for a private workout and told him he would be their pick.
I for one am glad we just took him, and I don’t think trading down is worth the risk when you’re sold on a guy. The 49ers aren’t tossing and turning over the 3rd rounder they could have picked up if they’d traded down and then taken Smith.
If we can pressure the QB, continue to get better running the ball and stay healthy at WR, no reason we couldn’t finish 10-6. Hopefully the remainder of the draft brings in players who can contribute right away.
Once again people are proclaiming that this is a great pick and he is destined to get 10 or 11 sacks. Just wow… That’s as many as our sacks leader got last year. And Irvin plays tbe same position. He’s a LEO. I don’t understand the lofty expections for an underdeveloped player who is a one note song. He is fast. He hasn’t gone on the field and proven anything yet. I just think we should hope he adds pressure to the QB on a consistent basis before we have him breaking any rookie sack records. I still feel we overdrafted this player. We could had Hightower and Irvin in the second. And Hightower is a better LB than anyone left in the second. This just doesn’t vibe with me
Utter disbelief. Like others have said, I cant help but feel that Irvin couldve been had later. Ok, maybe not 2nd or 3rd round, but maybe late 1st……? Maybe no one wanted to move to 15? The Hawks and 9ers picks are arguably the most questionable of the 1st round.
I went and re-read Kip’s spotlight, and also read Irvin’s story….I cant help but cheer for someone like that. I really hope he can be our Von Miller or Aldon Smith next year, and for years to come. But at the same time, I feel bad because Rob & Kip have put so much into writing & researching on the likes of Upshaw, Ingram, etc……..and I so wanted them to be right.
Thats 2 years in a row where the hawks drafted someone most perceived to be ‘out of left field.’ And when we do this again in a year, the story could end up the same. Its one thing for Kiper or McShay to mock someone to us, but when Rob or Kip do it, it has more meaning because they have a more vested interest in the team. As fans we’d all like to think we know our team. But I guess its better for the team to be right & successful than for me to be right about my team. Cant wait to see what 5th rounder we pick in the 2nd…haha! Go Rob, Go Kip & Go Hawks.
Joe- PC/JS obviously think that they can use him situationally to get that type of production or they wouldn’t have picked him.
Sorry for the ridiculous number of typos and issues in that post, it’s been a busy night, and I didn’t have time to do a proofreading run like I normally do. I just got it done now. If you guys were able to understand that garbled mess, I’m impressed.
The “What Ifs”.
What if Seattle traded their #15 pick to the colts for their #1 pick next year?
Took Irvin in the second.
Hello Barkley.
Well maybe that team was Seattle. Irvin wasn’t on any other draft board in first round. Should be interesting to see how long he can play against the big tackles. My prediction is that PC will train him to be a linebacker with some blitzing from his position.
Alaska Hawk- he was actually linked to SF and BAL. That was their guy all along. Carroll recruited him while at USC. hopefully he is coachable. We’ll find a spot for him to excel
well, if the reports are true about Irvin being a lock in the lower half of the first round (e.g. 49ers), it’s the correct pick.
As Kip said, this is the ultimate boom or bust pick in the whole 1st round (much like JPP in the 10 draft). If he pans out, he can be the prototype for the LEO. A pure speed pass rusher in the mold of Clay Matthews. Also fast and agile enough to occasionally drop in coverage.
The main thing is to work on his disengaging techniques and pass rushing moves. If coached like the way JPP was, we’ll have a perennial pro bowler. If not, we’ll have a situational pass rusher.
Several surprising things to me in this first round:
1. All the trades
2. All the pass rushers (except Cox) still available at 15
3. PC/JS ignored conventional wisdom and pick someone (non-QB) who will not be a 3 down player next season. Even Carpenter last year was a 3 down player immediately.
4. The Jets, a 3-4 team, drafted Coples, who seems to be best suited as a 4-3 DE; while the Bears, a 4-3 team, drafted McClellin, who seems to be best suited as a 3-4 OLB.
You people are hilarious. A gaggle of fans who fancy themselves football scouts put together an imaginary “top 100 board” of college football players. When questioned about where their expertise comes from — their football background — these pretend scouts bristle and proclaim that they “watch the tape” and evaluate accordingly. Thus, their “top 100” becomes holy writ, a sort of insane periodic table made by pseudo scientists. Is it any wonder that these delusional fans strike out with venom when the draft occurs and real NFL scouts have the temerity to use a different “top 100” — one created by people who actually know what to look for? People, just because you had Bruce Irvin as a second rounder doesn’t mean that the Seahawks ranked him that way. In fact, they didn’t. They had him as a top 20 guy. Why should they be evaluated according to a standard that was created by amateurs?
Only SB winners can justify taking 3-th down situational player 15-th in 1-st round but they never doing it, this is why they r SB winners. We do. Strange.
I just cannot understand the “we could have got him later” sentiment. Says who? ESPN talking heads? If they knew what they were talking about, they’d be working in an NFL front office making actual draft boards. Clearly at this point, there were a bunch of teams who wanted this guy and he was going first round, Pete beat them to the punch, end of story.
Kip, wow. Yeah, this pick came from the outfield, not so much left field, but maybe in front of the left fielder, but beyond an infielder’s reach. Enough of the baseball metaphors, what I’m trying to say is that both SDB and Fieldgulls talked about Bruce Irvin, but it was only a little more than in passing. When I saw his name, I was dismayed; I knew it, but I couldn’t recall any info about him. It wasn’t until I re-read a repost from April 8th, over at fieldgulls, that I was able to remember where I’d seen him. The first time I read that article, I almost dismissed him, not because I didn’t think he was worthy, but because I figured he was a day two pick, and in order for him to fall to the Hawks, too many things needed to align.
I don’t know how he’s going to do. I’m hoping that he does well for the Seahawks. (Actually, I’m pacing, and nearly self-flagellating myself in praying that he exceeds any prediction that even the most positive can will make.) But one thing does make me happy about this pick: The last two were dire needs, while this one feels like the front office knows that they are close to dominating, and not just competing. A pick where they felt that they needed a three down player that also had to make an immediate impact always makes me feel that the team is in dire straits. If a team picks the best player available, than they feel that their organization is further along than outsiders think. That one tidbit gives me hope for this pick.
Remember the Kingdome reverberating with “ROOOOOF” whenever Rufus Porter would make a play? I’d love to hear “BRUUUUUCE” in the same fashion.
On a side note, I live off of Fourth Plain, if you’re going to be at Big Al’s again, It’d be cool to speak with you, and get your perspective on all things Seahawks. Just let me know.
“most positive can will”!?
Shoulda been: “most positive fan will make.” or “most positive can make.”
It was the boldest move of bold moves, and I love it, love it, love it. You cant teach the kind of speed this guys has. I mocked The Seahawks getting him in the second. I was praying that they would get Irvin at all. Also, they added picks. This front office has proven time and again they know talent and they can find it where others can’t.
If we land Kendricks in second….this pick will make much more sense. It will mean we addresses pass rush and MLB with exactly who we wanted at each. Throw in LaDarius Green in third and my eyes will bug out of my head in awe.
I don’t think there is one person who can say with the names that were on the board, that Irvin would be the one called. That said, I couldn’t be happier… the last 2+ months we’ve been talking in here about pass rushing DE, getting to the QB, speed rusher. A lot of us wanted him in 2nd, I thought if we took DE in 1st there would be no need for him. If we went MLB or WR (Hightower or Floyd were my guys), he was an option.
This goes to show you… well me at least. If draft grading was strictly on football talent, this guy is a first round pick, no question. This kid made some bad choices as a kid, but he’s right, Carroll and Schneider are right, during his college days he was clean. After his pro day a bump at Pita Pit… maybe he got a moldy pita? Don’t care, charges dropped is the bottom line. So because of that Pita pit issue and nothing in the last 3 years he gets 2nd round grade?? I’m glad Carroll saw the football player and character over last 3 years instead of the 18 year old and younger like other teams and analysts have.
We now know the 49ers, Steelers, and Pats were going to use their 1st Round pick on him. We also know the Seahawks were still trying to trade down slightly lower again. So Irvin wasn’t getting out of the first round, and he’s the guy Seattle wanted so they took him. I think the pick has great potential.
If Kiper hated it, that’s good enough for me. He gave the Aaron Curry draft and the Houshmandzadeh signing an A+.
Everyone keep in mind the kid never has been properly coached for technique, all the way back to high school. Coaches have only seen a tall guy that weighs 245 run an unofficial 4.38 with equally quick lateral movement and good diagnostic skills (a quicker Curry plus the traits that will allow NFL success) and told him to put his hands in the dirt and go get ’em. 22 sacks in 26 games done with nothing but raw talent, in a stop-the-run-first defense. Now coached by Ken Norton Jr.
Uncle Pete also mentioned they did head to head film comparison between Irvin and Von Miller’s college film and their talents at rushing the passer are identical. Mebane and Branch crushing the middle, big Jones in coverage on the big TEs, Clemons and Irvin pinning their ears back while the 12th man is in full roar? New NFL record for false starts, anyone? 60 sacks? All those hits and pressures serving up turnovers to an All Pro secondary? I would take something remotely close.
And, as far as character issues, lets all dig into our own past before the age of 21 and see how many of us now-productive members of society would slide right down the board or be outright draft ineligible…
AlaskaHawk, claiming to know what any team’s draft board looks like is both arrogant and foolish.
I think he may well turn out to be a fine player for the role he will be expected to play. However, the most important issue is that they could have had him in a later round –and– picked up somebody like Melvin Ingram.
Sheer stupidity.
TPL, claiming that you know that they could have gotten him in later rounds is sheer stupidity. Carroll and Schnieder did not think they could trade back and still get him and he was THE highest rated pass rusher on their board. I think they probably know a little better than you what other teams are doing.The arrogance of some on these boards and in the media is truly astonishing. If you don’t like the guy then fine, say that. Just don’t claim you know better than current professional GM’s and coaches who is going to go when.
I have come full circle. Love the pick. Being a homer has its advantages.