Seahawks Choose Three More Players
The Seattle Seahawks gladly paid the price of trading to snag two of the top six picks in the NFL draft on Saturday.
The maneuvering left Seattle with only three lower-round selections on Sunday, so the Hawks took a budding businessman (Nebraska safety Eric Stokes, fifth round) and a couple of long shots (Brigham Young tight end Itula Mili, sixth round, and Miami cornerback Carlos Jones, seventh).
If the NFL doesn’t work out for Stokes, he has a job offer that would pay him a six-figure salary, according to Hawks secondary coach Willy Robinson. Stokes’ agent, Craig Domann said the prospective employer is a Michigan-based pharmaceutical company.
Mili suffered a knee injury in last year’s WAC championship game and it’s questionable whether he’ll be healthy for the ‘97 season. Jones play sparingly last season due to injuries and, Hawks coaches hinted, some off-field troubles, but he has blistering speed.
“Our draft was based around those two guys (Saturday No. 1 picks Shawn Springs and Walter Jones),” acknowledged coach Dennis Erickson, nonetheless intrigued with the potential of Sunday’s trio.
Locally, Washington State receiver Chad Carpenter was taken by Arizona in the fifth round.
“They’ve got a receiver position that’s open and they feel like I can fill it,” Carpenter said. “I wasn’t really surprised (to be drafted). I figured fourth through seventh (rounds) and if not, free agency. It’s one of those things that worked out well.”
Washington linebacker John Fiala went to Miami in the sixth round. WSU and UW each had three players drafted.
Stokes played on two Nebraska national championship teams. He played cornerback, free and strong safety at Nebraska. He’s expected to be a reserve behind Darryl Williams at free safety. Jay Bellamy probably will move to back up Bennie Blades at strong safety.
Mili, drafted on his 24th birthday, had 46 catches for 692 yards last season. Seahawks coaches said the 6-foot-4, 265-pound tight end is athletic and has good hands. “It’s similar to Eddie Goines,” Erickson said, referring to the ‘95 draft pick whom Seattle selected despite Goines’ knee injury. Goines reinjured his knee during training camp last year, but he is healthy entering this week’s minicamp.
, DataTimes