Hawks draft defenders
KIRKLAND – Saturday was a day of waiting for the Seattle Seahawks.
They waited more than 8 1/2 hours to introduce their newest draft pick, and then they waited well into the night to see if they would rid themselves of veteran Darrell Jackson.
The 28-year-old wide receiver arrived in San Francisco on Saturday afternoon, taking a physical for the 49ers to finalize a deal that could send Jackson to the Seahawks’ NFC West rival. As day turned to night, no deal was announced and the waiting game continued.
“No trade has been executed” yet, Seahawks president Tim Ruskell said Saturday evening. “I’ll have more, (Sunday) maybe – or maybe not. If not, he’ll be here to participate in our minicamp (next weekend).”
The 49ers were taking a look at Jackson’s injured knee, which has undergone two surgeries since fall 2005. If he is cleared medically, the Seahawks would get a fourth-round pick as compensation, according to several media reports.
As compensation for New England wide receiver Deion Branch, the Seahawks gave their first-round pick to the Patriots and had to wait until late in the second round to participate in Day 1 of the draft.
When the 55th overall arrived, the Seahawks addressed an already deep position and selected speedy cornerback Josh Wilson from the University of Maryland. Wilson was one of the fastest cornerbacks available in the draft, and he also has the skills to return kicks, but his lack of size (5-foot-9, 189 pounds) kept him from being considered in the first round.
Wilson, who ran track for two years at Maryland, said his speed has helped him keep up with bigger wideouts. One of those receivers, 6-foot-5 Calvin Johnson of Georgia Tech, caught 10 passes for 133 yards in a 2006 matchup with Wilson. Johnson went on to become the second overall pick in Saturday’s NFL draft.
“Because of my speed, I can stay with receivers just because of my natural ability,” Wilson said. “As far as my size, I know how to compete at the size that I am. Some people might see it as a negative, but I see it as what God gave me, as the cards that I was dealt.”
Wilson adds depth to a secondary that got ravaged by injuries last season. Starters Marcus Trufant (high ankle sprain) and Kelly Herndon (broken leg) are expected to be available to participate in off-season camps, while 2006 first-round pick Kelly Jennings got plenty of starting experience in the postseason.
“We’re excited about the group, and this is another piece to that puzzle,” Ruskell said. “It’s a group that had some injuries … so it could look good on paper, but are we really going to be solid once we go into the season? And this helps that situation.”
Seattle added defensive tackle Brandon Mebane of Cal in the third round. The 309-pound run-stuffer adds depth to a position that already includes Chartric Darby, Rocky Bernard, Russell Davis, Craig Terrill and injured Marcus Tubbs.