Seattle hopes for first-rate second-rounders

While the jury is still out on recent first-round picks such as Chris Spencer and Marcus Tubbs, no one can find much fault in the Seattle Seahawks’ recent decisions in Round 2 of the annual NFL draft.

Free safety Ken Hamlin, the 42nd overall pick, came in and started 14 games as a rookie in 2003.

Strong safety Michael Boulware finished his rookie year as the starter after being selected 53rd overall in 2004.

Then there was middle linebacker Lofa Tatupu, who lasted 54 picks last April before coming to Seattle, having a Pro Bowl season and becoming as a serious candidate for rookie of the year.

So forget the pressure that’s typically heaped on first-round picks. Seahawks fans might be expecting immediate contributions from the guy taken in Round 2.

Seahawks team president Tim Ruskell told a small gathering of reporters last week that some of the most important picks in the draft come “between (Nos.) 20 and 50,” because there are plenty of quality starters available in that range that have fallen through the cracks. While most of the mock drafts focus mostly on the players expected to be selected among the top 15 or 20 picks, NFL teams such as the Seahawks have found the second round to be just as important.

“I think people do a better job in the second round because the pressure’s off,” said Ruskell, who also hit a second-round jackpot while working for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and drafting running back Mike Alstott in 1996.

If Seattle’s Hamlin, Boulware and Tatupu shared a common link, it’s that none of them got much outside attention on their respective draft days. Hamlin was considered too young and immature to have much of an immediate effect, Boulware was an undersized, overachieving linebacker who didn’t seem to have much chance of playing in the secondary, and Tatupu was being projected as – at best– a third- or fourth-round pick.

Yet Seattle’s scouting staff viewed all three players as diamonds in the rough.

Hamlin was not mentioned in the same breath with blue chippers such as Ohio State’s Mike Doss in the days leading up to the 2003 NFL draft. But the Seahawks opted to pass up on Doss and select Hamlin with the 42nd overall selection – 16 picks before the Ohio State All-America.

Boulware was projected as a possible first-round pick and situational player, but few teams viewed him as a safety. The Seahawks considered using the 23rd overall pick on Boulware, but instead waited until Round 2 and still got their man. He took a few weeks to adjust to the position before supplanting Terreal Bierria as starter 11 games into his rookie season. He has started 21 consecutive games for the Seahawks.

Tatupu might have been the biggest gamble of them all. His lack of size – he’s listed at 5-foot-11, 238 pounds – and a poor outing at the combine dropped Tatupu on many teams’ draft boards. Yet Seattle was more concerned with his collegiate production than his raw numbers and was so confident that he could start right away that Ruskell engineered a trade that moved Seattle up nine spots in exchange for two fourth-round picks. The move seems to have paid off, as Tatupu shored up a position that has been a revolving door for as long as most Seattle fans can remember.

The Seahawks defense could have room for another rookie starter this year, especially at the cornerback and safety positions. The release of cornerback Andre Dyson leaves Seattle pretty thin at that position, while free safety is a concern because Hamlin is still trying to come back from serious head injuries he suffered in an off-the-field incident last October.

Some of the players being projected to go late in Round 2 – Seattle owns the 63rd overall pick – include Arizona State wide receiver Derek Hagan, Fresno State cornerback Richard Marshall and Louisville defensive end Elvis Dumervil. All would fill potential areas of need. Tight end is another position that could be addressed because of the departure of free agent Ryan Hannam and the recent news that starter Jerramy Stevens underwent knee surgery and is expected to miss most off-season workouts.

Like last season, Seattle could try to trade up to get a player it likes in Round 2, but the Seahawks may lack the ammunition to do it. Seattle has already dealt its picks in the third round (to acquire restricted free agent Nate Burleson) and the sixth round (for safety Mike Green), leaving just four picks after the second round.

Notes

Ruskell said that talks with Mike Holmgren about the coach’s future with the team beyond this season are ongoing. … Ruskell said the Seahawks have cut off contract talks with free-agent cornerback Ty Law until after this weekend. Seattle hosted Law, who played with the New York Jets last season, earlier this month. … Ruskell also said that he would be comfortable entering the season with Marcus Trufant starting at cornerback on one side and either Jordan Babineaux or Kelly Herndon on the other. … With Jerramy Stevens sidelined, the only two healthy, experienced tight ends on the roster are veterans Itula Mili and Will Heller.