The privilege (if you want to call it that) of choosing among the top five of the draft doesn’t come often; the Seahawks have only taken six players in the top five since 1976.Of those, three have busted.
With such a high and prized draft pick comes pressure. There are always those Alex Smiths, but then again, there are also your Mannings. The fact is picking this high can give teams a game-changing player and lead them over the hump that is the playoffs.
But, it can also cripple a team for years.
To Continue...
In Seattle's 30-plus year history, they have chosen in the top five of the draft six times. Of those six players, not all of them paid huge dividends. In fact, half of them have been busts. Some, however, really changed the franchise for the better. Here is a list of the players:
1997, no 3, Shawn Springs
1993, no 2, Rick Mirer
1990, no 3, Cortez Kennedy
1983, no 3, Curt Warner
1981, no 4, Kenny Easley
1976, no 2, Steve Niehaus
THE BAD
Two of the busts were largely due to injuries, but one draft bust really shines above them all. Enter Rick Mirer.
Rick Mirer
Nothing could be more disastrous than the Seahawks’ selection of Rick Mirer in 1993, following the worst season in Seahawks history. The Seahawks had previously lost the Bledsoe bowl against the Patriots, forcing them to a no. 2 pick.
Mirer actually had a better first season than Drew Bledsoe but it was all downhill from there. The selection of Mirer (among other things) meant almost a decade of futility for the 'Hawks, showing what a top five pick can do to a franchise.
In his time with the Seahawks, Mirer threw 20 more interceptions than touchdowns, leading the Seahawks to a 27-37 record over four seasons. NFL Network listed him as one of the top 10 draft busts of all time.
Shawn Springs
This one is a little trickier because Springs wasn’t necessarily a bust, recording seven interceptions, two touchdowns and 76 tackles in his second season. But, injuries took down Springs far too often, missing 19 games with the Seahawks. Springs left for the Redskins in 2004.
Steve Niehaus
The first ever draft pick by the Seahawks turned out to be a bust, also because of injuries. In his first season with the Seahawks, he had 9.5 sacks which is a Seahawks rookie record. After that knee injuries took him down a few notches and he retired in 1979 after being drafted in '76.
THE GOOD
All of these picks are in the ring of honor and should be in the Hall of Fame. This is what a top five draft pick should bring: years of stability and excellence at that position.
Cortez Kennedy
Kennedy led a terrifying Seahawks defense in a time when the offense was terrifyingly limp. He started off slow after holding out for most of training camp but eventually made it to the Pro Bowl six straight times (seven total) and was named the defensive player of the year in 1992, which is saying something considering it was the worst year in franchise history.
Kennedy is also enshrined in the Seahawks Ring of Honor and was named the best player to ever wear no. 96 by Sports Illustrated. Too bad the Seahawks weren’t contenders in the 90's.
Curt Warner
Another Seahawks Ring of Honor inductee, for good reason. Warner had more than 1,400 rushing yards and 14 TDs in his rookie season, leading the Seahawks to its first conference championship game. Throughout his career, he made three Pro Bowls and was an all pro four times.
Kenny Easley
Five Pro Bowl selections, a defensive player of the year award and making the NFL 80's decade team affirm this no. 4 pick’s success. Coaches called him one of the best safeties ever in the NFL. Perhaps one day Easley will take a step up from the Seahawks Ring of Honor to the Hall of Fame.
Conclusion
As one can see, the top five pick can be a tricky proposition. The Seahawks aren't in position to ruin the team for years like in the 90's because they have a relatively strong foundation of players. One thing that is hard to predict is injuries. When you pick within the top five, the odds are against the team to find a true bust. Hopefully Ruskell makes the team 4 and 3 rather than the opposite.
Reach Aaron Weinberg at nextseasonsports@gmail.com
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