Tuesday, May 5, 2009

Rookies Most Likely to....

by: Mike Parker

Chris Steuber at Scout.com has compiled quite the list of 2009 draft picks in an assortment he calls "The Rookie Most Likely to..."

And I hope you're sitting down.

Both Aaron Curry and Mike Teel made the list, which comes at a huge surprise to me. Expectations are already set high for Curry, whom many labeled to be the top overall player in this year's draft, but Teel is where the surprise part comes in.

Steuber gives the "Most Likely to Be a Steal in Five Years" honors to the former Rutgers QB. He says that even though Teel had a rough start to his senior season, his finish made up for his inconsistencies:

[H]e was given one more chance by Rutgers Coach Greg Schiano, and Teel rewarded him with a tremendous finish to his senior year by completing 68.5-percent of his passes for 2,056 yards, 22 touchdowns and six interceptions
Steuber speculates that this could point to Teel's potential, as he may just need some mentoring under the right system to flourish into a capable NFL quarterback.

Curry, meanwhile, was distinguished by Steuber as being the "Most Likely to Win Defensive Rookie of the Year." Other sources tend to agree on this, but I liked Steuber's cut-and-dried wording:
. . . it should be a consensus pick, Seattle Seahawks first round pick Aaron Curry. He was my No. 1 prospect entering the 2009 NFL Draft and he will emerge as the top defensive rookie this year.
If you believe the hype, this team is going to be a force to be reckoned with. The front office has taken full advantage of having a high draft choice this year, and has only built on those prospects throughout the offseason.

Here's to hoping, but here's also to flying under the radar. Let the haters drink their Hate-orade and keep fleecing the Seahawks for "losing" when teams like the Cowboys don't win a playoff game for a decade and are still somehow consistently touted as legitimate Super Bowl contenders.

With the best Seahawks draft in several years happening this offseason, Tim Ruskell has set this team up for something truly remarkable.

(Thanks to Jay and Cousin Tam for the link.)

END