April 25, 2005 in Sports

These guys are a bit green

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Associated Press photo

Georgia quarterback David Greene was selected in the third round Saturday by the Seahawks. Greene was picked 85th overall.
(Full-size photo)

KIRKLAND – By the time the so-called draft experts put down their grading pencils, the Seattle Seahawks might find themselves on academic probation.

Three offensive linemen, a couple of undersized linebackers and a backup quarterback are not typically the stuff of sparkling report cards.

Only time will tell whether the Seahawks’ 2005 draft deserves an A, an F, or something in between.

The most obvious mark against Seattle may have been an inability to fill a glaring need at defensive end. Grant Wistrom struggled through injuries last year, free agent Bryce Fisher is an undersized pass rusher, and Antonio Cochran hasn’t proven himself as an every-down starter.

That position did not get addressed until Sunday’s fifth round. And Jeb Huckeba, a 6-foot-4, 255-pound end/linebacker who had 6 ½ career sacks at Arkansas, probably won’t draw any comparisons to Lawrence Taylor right away.

But the Seahawks’ brass was happy with its nine-player class, which started with offensive lineman Chris Spencer in Round 1 and eventually included just four defensive players.

“It was a tough day for us early in the draft,” said defensive coordinator Ray Rhodes, whose 26th-ranked defense got plenty of help in free agency. “But we felt it was a good draft.”

In an effort to get better on defense, the Seahawks tried to trade up in Round 1 on Saturday. But teams weren’t willing to give them a shot at some of the top pass rushers available – guys like Troy State’s DeMarcus Ware, Maryland’s Shawne Merriman or Wisconsin’s Erasmus James. Instead, Seattle opted for Spencer, who some publications regarded as the best offensive lineman in the entire draft.

The Seahawks opened Sunday with another offensive lineman, taking right tackle Ray Willis of Florida State in the fourth round. Not until the fifth round did Seattle take a shot on a defensive end.

Huckeba (pronounced huck-a-BEE) is a bit of a project, based both on his size and production. The Arkansas product said he hopes to report to training camp at 265 pounds, 10 pounds heavier than his current weight, and believes he can develop into a consistent pass rusher. Huckeba moved from linebacker to defensive end as a junior, but didn’t register his first collegiate sack until his final season at Arkansas.

“My senior year, my second year at the position, I started feeling more natural and having more confidence in my ability to rush the passer,” said Hukeba, the 13th defensive end selected in the weekend draft. “I think it will continue to progress that way.”

Rhodes believes Huckeba can be a contributing defensive end, whether or not he puts on much weight.

“I think that he can get bigger, but we’re not just concerned with him getting a lot bigger,” Rhodes said. “We want speed. We don’t project him as a linebacker; we project him as a rush end for us. He’s going to be a pass-rush type of guy.”

Seattle closed out its draft by selecting Iowa fullback Tony Jackson in the sixth round, followed by Alabama middle linebacker Cornelius Wortham and Oregon State guard Doug Neinhuis in the seventh.

If there was a theme to the Seahawks’ draft, it may have been versatility. Spencer can play center and both guard positions, Wortham and third-round pick LeRoy Hill can play three different linebacker positions, Huckeba can play defensive end and linebacker, Jackson can play tight end and fullback, and Nienhuis was a college tackle who will probably play guard.

More than anything, the Seahawks used the draft to try to build for the future.

“Give them time,” team president Tim Ruskell said. “Let them work into the system. … In a year or two, people will be surprised.”

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