Seahawks draft Wisconsin quarterback

RENTON, Wash. – Finally, Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks took a draft pick everyone knew. And yet there were still questions about what drafting Russell Wilson in the third round on Friday night might mean for the Seahawks. Seattle took Wilson, the star quarterback who led Wisconsin to the Rose Bowl last season, with the 75th overall pick, in the third round, after addressing another need by taking Utah State linebacker Bobby Wagner in the second. The Seahawks are hopeful that Wagner’s huge production at a smaller college will carry over into the NFL and he can develop into their starting middle linebacker of the future. While Wagner will have the more immediate impact, it’s Wilson’s selection that grabbed attention. “We think more than anybody else that was alive in the draft, this guy gives you the chance to have a great player,” Carroll said of Wilson. “It’s going to be really exciting to see what he can bring. All he’s ever done is be great. And the way he finished at Wisconsin … the extraordinary ability to control a game, and then knowing what kind of kid he is and the great … athleticism he has, he’s just a fantastic chance for us to take.” Wagner will try to prove his eye-popping numbers posted at Utah State will transfer to the NFL. Wagner missed the NFL combine when he came down with pneumonia just two days before he was set to leave for Indianapolis. Wagner only started playing football his junior year of high school and Utah State was his only offer. Wagner went on to be a three-time All-Western Athletic Conference selection and racked up 147 total tackles his senior season for the Aggies. He was eighth in the country, averaging more than 11 tackles per game.