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The Seahawks have done another Seahawky thing, thumbing their noses at 'consensus' with regards to draft grades and projections and have selected defensive end Bruce Irvin with the 15th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft. I'm sure this will bring a ton of controversy, considering Irvin was projected as a probable second or third round pick.
Irvin is 6'3, 245 with 33.75" arms. He ran the 40 in a ridiculous 4.5 seconds, had a 10' broad jump, a 4.03 short shuttle, and a 6.7 3-cone time, all elite for the defensive end group. Mike Mayock called him the 'most natural pass rusher' in the Draft this year, and he's certainly got the natural athleticism that John Schneider and Pete Carroll love.
He's being described as a situational pass rusher right now - likely in the same role that a Chandler Jones or Andre Branch would have played if they had gone that route, and we can expect that he'll be used in passing downs to rush the passer opposite Chris Clemons and groomed as his eventual replacement. I wasn't really expecting this pick - nor was pretty much anyone really - and it looks like the Hawks did another good job of keeping their board under wraps. More on this pick soon as I wrap my head around it.