Everyone KNEW he was going to be good, and he WAS

Aaron Curry

Earl and Lockett both fell to us.
Earl was considered a top 7 pick and we got him at 14.

Curt Warner, Tez, ETIII.

StaffAmerica74 said:

Earl and Lockett both fell to us.
Earl was considered a top 7 pick and we got him at 14.

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He wasn't even the first safety drafted . Although Eric Berry had a pretty solid career too.

Yeah, everyone knew Russ would be great. That's why he went in the third round while playing a premium position.

Russell Wilson.
I even mocked him to the Seahawks in the 3rd round. My only crystal ball draft moment in history.
I knew he'd be great. In his rookie preseason I'd drive 45 minutes to watch Hawks preseason games just to see his 4th quarter TD passes.
It was great and fun during his rookie contract.

Aside from that, I'd have to say Curt Warner.

Rat said:

Yeah, everyone knew Russ would be great. That's why he went in the third round while playing a premium position.

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Yup. His college tape was pretty remarkable and it came against top competition.
I think his Wisconsin WR buddy Jared Abbrederis even had a cup of coffee in the NFL with the Packers and Lions.

olyfan63 said:

Yup. His college tape was pretty remarkable and it came against top competition.
I think his Wisconsin WR buddy Jared Abbrederis even had a cup of coffee in the NFL with the Packers and Lions.

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I was being sarcastic. He was clearly not a crazy hyped prospect that everyone knew would be good before we took him. A team even took a punter over him. It was largely panned as a reach.

Rat said:

I was being sarcastic. He was clearly not a crazy hyped prospect that everyone knew would be good before we took him. A team even took a punter over him. It was largely panned as a reach.

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I had read a couple pre-draft profiles that pegged him as the most likely QB to be a starter during his rookie year.
So "everyone" knew he'd be great, lol. Probably both articles by the same writer. He was the one player I was hoping for in that draft.
Others projected 5th round or maybe even UDFA, on account of his height. I figured Hawks would be able to take him in the 3rd round.
I recall a picture of Schneider and Carroll at the combine, and who was in the background of the picture but RW3.

olyfan63 said:

I had read a couple pre-draft profiles that pegged him as the most likely QB to be a starter during his rookie year.
So "everyone" knew he'd be great, lol. Probably both articles by the same writer. He was the one player I was hoping for in that draft.
Others projected 5th round or maybe even UDFA, on account of his height. I figured Hawks would be able to take him in the 3rd round.
I recall a picture of Schneider and Carroll at the combine, and who was in the background of the picture but RW3.

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Most likely starter in a draft that included Andrew Luck?

Many people thought VERY highly of Russ pre- draft. On this board, it was almost nauseating. I remember joking on a number of people's mocks that it had apparently become illegal to make a mock that doesn't have us landing him in the fifth or sixth round.

There were certainly things to like. It was clearly nowhere near consensus nationally that he'd be great though. People claim Kiper ripped the pick, but I thought it was pretty complimentary. Basically what he said was that nobody with Russ's measurables has ever been a franchise QB, but if anyone was going to make it work, it'd be him. He had to do something that hadnt been done before.

He was the guy everyone wanted late, but nobody wanted to gamble on too early.