Seahawks are big winners on draft day

Draft day always is intriguing, particularly near the top. Everyone knew that Detroit would select Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford and it seemed a near certainty that St. Louis would follow with Baylor offensive tackle Jason Smith. There was some concern that Kansas City, which needs help at linebacker, would take Aaron Curry, but the Chiefs opted for LSU defensive end Tyson Jackson at No. 3, which left the Wake Forest product for the Seahawks.

There were some that argued that Curry didn't make sense as a top five pick because linebackers shouldn't be selected that high. Sounds like flawed logic to me. Curry was the consensus top player in the draft and also fit a need for the Seahawks. As Seattle general manager Tim Ruskell said, it seems like a "no brainer" to me.

Others argued for USC's Matt Sanchez, but no position is more overvalued on draft day than quarterback. I've seen too many "future stars" at quarterback named Kyle Boller, Tim Couch, Ryan Leaf, Rick Mirer, Heath Shuler, Alex Smith, etc. It seems like there's one every year.

ESPN's John Clayton compared Sanchez to Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Pennington, a good player but hardly worthy of a top-five pick. Clayton said Curry is similar to former New York Giants standout Carl Banks, who was selected to the NFL's 1980's All-Decade Team. Doesn't seem debatable to me.

If that weren't enough, Ruskell was able to flip his 37th pick to Denver for a first-round pick in 2010. That trade is a coup on multiple levels. Obviously it allows the Seahawks make a choice higher in the draft. But the 2010 draft also is viewed as more talented than this year's. If Denver stumbles and provides the Seahawks with a top-10 pick, it could be an opportunity to take Matt Hasselback's replacement next year if needed. Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Texas' Colt McCoy both will be available.

Ruskell also essentially acknowledged that his first choice as general manager, center Chris Spencer, hasn't worked out. Besides being injury prone, Spencer hasn't proven he's a quality starter in four seasons. To help fill the void, Ruskell traded this year's third- and fourth-round selections to Chicago to acquire a late second rounder. He used that to pick Oregon center Max Unger, whom some considered a first-round talent. If Unger plays to that level, this draft should be remembered as one of the best in franchise history.