Seahawks set to go fourth

Over the past 12 months, what constituted for good news for the Seattle Seahawks had mostly to do with the few starters who were actually healthy enough to suit up. A 4-12 record and countless pulls, tears and broken bones have left a void of excitement for the Seahawks as of late.

Today, there is finally reason for fans, coaches and the city to get excited.

When the NFL draft begins this afternoon, Seattle sits in a pretty good spot. With the fourth overall pick – the franchise’s highest since 1997 – the Seahawks have the city buzzing with possibilities.

“It’s been fun,” team president Tim Ruskell said earlier this week. “(With later picks,) it’s about: Who’s left? But at (No.) 4, it’s not about who’s left. We’re going to get a heck of a football player.

“The coaches are going to be excited, we’re going to be excited, the city’s going to be excited. That’s the good news about picking that high.”

The bad news, of course, is that the Seahawks – for lack of a better word – “earned” this pick by struggling on the field.

Only three teams had worse records than Seattle last season, setting the Seahawks up for an early selection in the annual draft.

The on-field struggles have left Seattle with plenty of needs.

As Ruskell put it this week: “I don’t feel that we’re hostage to (one) position.”

While the high pick didn’t mean fewer hours of preparation, it does allow for a shorter list of possibilities.

Ruskell said as far off as eight days ago that the Seahawks had already narrowed down their possibilities to four players, one of whom will likely be chosen by the team today.

The most likely candidates:

•USC quarterback Mark Sanchez: Despite just 16 starts in college, he displayed enough raw talent and charisma to entice the Seahawks to tab him as Matt Hasselbeck’s eventual replacement.

•Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry: Seen by many as the premier defensive player in the draft, he could step in and be an immediate starter.

•Texas Tech wide receiver Michael Crabtree: He’s probably the most exciting player in the draft, but a foot injury leaves reason for concern.

The most likely fourth name on Seattle’s wish list, Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford, reportedly agreed to a contract Friday night with the Detroit Lions as the No. 1 pick.

St. Louis and Kansas City pick next, after which time the Seahawks will make their pick – uncharacteristically early.

Another option is to orchestrate a trade, but that can be much easier said than done.

The No. 4 pick carries some baggage in that the drafted player will likely command a big salary.

For example, if Sanchez were the pick, his contract would almost certainly be bigger than that of Hasselbeck.

But Ruskell said Thursday that the phone has been ringing, and Sanchez seems to be the most coveted player in the eyes of most teams trying to move into the top five. The interested teams, however, don’t appear to have the ammunition to make the trade work for Seattle.

Should the Seahawks keep the pick, it would mark the sixth time in franchise history that Seattle makes a selection among the top four in the draft.

Past high draft choices have brought in players such as safety Kenny Easley, defensive tackle Cortez Kennedy and quarterback Rick Mirer.

All indications are that the Seattle front office would be satisfied with any of the three aforementioned players, so don’t expect to hear shouts of frustration coming from Renton should one or two of them get selected among the top three picks.

The only frustration the Seahawks are feeling comes from the predicament that got them in today’s somewhat envious position.

They would prefer not to be drafting this high in the near future, but the Seahawks are taking the glass-half-full approach to this afternoon’s draft.

“It’s obviously an exciting, important time for this football team,” Ruskell said. “… We feel very good with our preparation and where we’re at.

“We know that we’re going to bring some players in that are going to give us some energy and help this team as we move forward.”