12 Biggest NFL Draft Failures in Seattle Seahawks History

The Senior Bowl was held over the weekend, giving NFL teams and fans a view of some of the potential stars that will be available on draft weekend. The Seattle Seahawks had their eyes on several prospects, hoping to find quality starters from both ends of the draft.

The Seahawks have most certainly held a history of draft failures, starting with their first-ever selection in 1976.

Some failures are born of who was picked, while others a result of who wasn't. Hindsight is always a better vantage point, and pre-draft expectations will certainly be considered in the rankings. 

The Seahawks have the opportunity to add a pass-rusher and possibly a starting-caliber quarterback this April. They've made attempts to do so in prior years, only to fall short.

Here are a dozen of their biggest failures, along with a half-dozen bonus selections. 

Honorable Mentions: Draft Failures with Mitigating Circumstances

Rick Mirer, Quarterback, Notre Dame, second overall selection in 1993:

Mirer was the consolation prize for the Seattle Seahawks in the 1993 draft after Drew Bledsoe was taken first overall by the New England Patriots. The latter went on to have a solid NFL career, while Mirer peaked with his Rookie of the Year performance.

Many consider Mirer to be the biggest draft bust in Seahawks history. I tend to disagree, though he failed to live up to any expectations. However, Seattle did secure a first-round draft pick from the Chicago Bears for Mirer, a pick that turned into Walter Jones. For that reason the selection of Mirer wasn't a total failure.

Brian Bosworth, LB, Oklahoma, surrendered first-round pick in 1988 draft (22nd overall):

Seattle did what they needed to and signed one of the most dynamic players to enter the NFL. Injuries cut "The Boz's" NFL career short, but he made a solid impact when healthy. He brought toughness and attitude to the Seahawks at a time when it was needed.

Many see Bosworth as one of Seattle's biggest draft busts, as his performance didn't meet the hype. It is hard to deny that argument, but the Seahawks have certainly received less performance from players that cost more.

Kelly Stouffer, QB, Colorado State, 1987 Draft, 1988 debut:

Seattle didn't draft Stouffer, so he can't really make the overall list. However, they surrendered several draft picks for the player the Arizona Cardinals couldn't come to terms with after selecting him sixth overall in 1987. It could have been worse, as the original plan was to include Kenny Easley as part of the transaction.

Chris McIntosh, OL, Wisconsin, 22nd overall in 2000 draft:

McIntosh never developed into the player the Seahawks expected him to be. He was plagued by injuries and played in just two seasons in Seattle.

Marcus Tubbs, DT, Texas, 23rd overall in 2004:

Like McIntosh, Tubbs had injury issues that cut his career short. His final issue required micro-fracture knee surgery, landing him on injured reserve before the 2007 season began. He was released the following season.

12. Jerramy Stevens, TE, Washington: 28th Selection in 2002 Draft

It is a struggle to put Jerramy Stevens on this list. Coming into the NFL, he was a player with a troubled past but great potential. 

In the Super Bowl he had a few key miscues, but also scored the Seahawks' lone touchdown. He would show up one week with a monster performance, only to leave fans wanting the next.

Tight end was certainly a need for the Seahawks in 2002. The top two options—Jeremy Shockey and Daniel Graham—were already off the board. There wasn't another challenger that held the same promise of Stevens, making his selection understandable.

Stevens was a failure in the end, but his shoulders bear that burden.

This issue could be expanded by considering the Seahawks' trade for Matt Hasselbeck. This led to the Packers and Seahawks swapping first-round draft picks in 2002. If not for that, the Seahawks would have been able to draft Daniel Graham. As for a quarterback, they could have drafted Drew Brees the year prior. 

It is difficult for Seahawks fans to think about what could have been.

11. Kelly Jennings, CB, Miami: 31st Selection in 2006 Draft

Kelly Jennings never gained the favor of Seahawks fans. He was a late first-round pick following Seattle's lone Super Bowl appearance. He was known for solid cover skills, but his size—or lack thereof—was a concern.

In his tenure in Seattle, Jennings was consistently in receivers' hip-pockets, but he lacked the ball skills to interrupt passes. He surrendered too many completions and had fewer interceptions in his career than rookie Richard Sherman had in half a season.

The biggest failure with drafting Jennings is what the team missed.

Seattle also had a need for a defensive end. Bryce Fisher wasn't showing consistent skills and was in his final season as a Seahawk. Grant Wistrom was also aging and entering what would be his final year in the NFL.

Mathias Kiwanuka was sitting on the board and was a promising defensive end. He's gone on to have a solid career for the New York Giants, and he would have been instrumental in helping the Seahawks stay relevant in the seasons following.

10. Aaron Curry, LB, Wake Forest: 4th Selection in 2009 Draft

Aaron Curry was seen as a can't-miss prospect and was expected to bring viciousness to Seattle's linebacker corps. 

He did that, at least for a period of time. Curry's on-field play seemed to mellow significantly after the birth of his son. At first it looked as though he was working on becoming smarter and more disciplined.

It turned out he just wasn't a good fit for Seattle, and possibly the NFL. 

This selection is a borderline entry for the honorable mention category. While Curry was a huge bust for the Seahawks, they are hardly alone with the players taken at the top of the 2009 draft. It is also possible to argue most of the 2009 first round was a failure.

Some believe that Mark Sanchez should have been the pick in 2009. He hasn't shown himself to be a franchise quarterback to this point.

9. Koren Robinson, WR, North Carolina State: 9th Selection in 2001 Draft

Koren Robinson was an exciting selection in the 2001 draft. He was widely held as the first or second rated receiving option in the draft with David Terrell. 

The Seahawks and their fans were pleased to have Robinson available, as he had explosive speed and huge big-play potential. He showed some of that potential in his second season, gaining 1,240 yards with five touchdowns.

The failure with the Seahawks was discounting off-field issues that could have directed them to look at Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss or Chad Johnson.

The red flags were not as big as the issues became, but they certainly could have been for a player leaving college after his red-shirt sophomore year.

8. Chris Spencer, C, Ole Miss: 26th Selection in 2005 Draft

Thus started the Tim Ruskell era, reaching for a center out of a perceived need and ignoring a much better interior lineman prospect. 

Spencer provided several seasons of solid play for the Seahawks. He wasn't a top center, but he was serviceable. It would be a big stretch to call him a bust.

However, the selection was certainly a failure for the Seahawks. Logan Mankins was on the board, taken at the end of the first round. His selection, along with one yet to be named, would have staved off the pending implosion of the Seahawks' offensive line.

6-7. Traded 24th Pick, Josh Wilson, CB, Maryland with 55th Pick in 2007 Draft

The year after taking Kelly Jennings, Ruskell attempted to rectify his selection of an undersized cornerback by taking an even smaller version.

Josh Wilson was an exciting player, and he can't be considered a draft bust. 

However, the Seahawks failed to recognize their offensive line was deteriorating. They lost four of their starting linemen over a two-year period, yet little action was being taken to shore up what had been the strength of the Seahawks' offense.

Had the Seahawks taken Mankins in 2005, they would have been in an ideal position to draft Ryan Kalil. Instead, he was selected four spots later and has been a Pro Bowl talent for the Carolina Panthers.

The Seahawks had already parted with their first pick in 2007, sent to the New England Patriots for a receiver that had never reached 1,000 yards in a season.

Had the Seahawks held on to their pick they would have been able to choose from Robert Meachem, Anthony Gonzalez, Sidney Rice and Steve Smith (USC, drafted by the New York Giants).

Greg Olsen and Zach Miller would have also been options at tight end. 

The 2007 draft could have yielded fantastic results and kept the Seahawks talent at the level of a contender. Instead, it marked another failed attempt by the front office.

5. Steve Niehaus, DT, Notre Dame: 2nd Overall Selection in 1976 Draft

Is it odd or fitting that the story on the Seahawks' draft failures take us to their first-ever selection? 

Seattle had the opportunity to use their first selection to set the tone for their franchise, and they used it on a defensive tackle that held promise as a prominent sack machine.

He went the way of Rick Mirer, though, peaking with 9.5 sacks and the NFC Defensive Rookie of the Year honors. 

The Seahawks could have taken a Pro Bowl runner (Chuck Muncie) to form the offense around, or grabbed one of the best cornerbacks to ever play the game (Mike Haynes).

To be fair, knee issues derailed Steve Niehaus' career. Had he remained healthy he might have made a bigger impact on the team. With injury issues that continue to plague the team, this seems a most fitting start.

4. Entire 1999 Draft

Lamar King, DE, Saginaw Valley State: 22nd Overall Selection

Headed into the 1999 draft, Ebenezer Ekuban and Patrick Kerney were seen as the top two prospects at defensive end. 

Lamar King was certainly in the top five, but a Division II player had never been drafted in the first round. King wasn't expected to be the first.

The Seahawks moved down twice in the first round in 1999, looking to add players to the liking of new coach and general manager Mike Holmgren. Fritz Shurmer pulled the plug on the moves and King in particular.

Kerney was available at the 22nd spot, fresh off a 15-sack season at Virginia, and was considered a logical pick for a team that needed help with quarterback pressure.

The Seahawks had already passed on Damien Woody (C, Boston College) and acquired picks that became Karsten Bailey, Floyd Wedderburn and Steve Johnson, who never made it out of training camp.

Other picks in 1999 included Brock Huard (QB, third round) and Antonio Cochran (DE, fourth round).

The only positive that came from the 1999 draft was the second-round pick the Seahawks sent to the Green Bay Packers to sign Mike Holmgren.

3. Dan McGwire, QB, San Diego State: 16th Selection in 1991 Draft

The Seahawks selected the 6'8" Dan McGwire to be their franchise quarterback. He had a great collegiate career, but there were concerns about how a quarterback of his size would translate to the NFL.

As it turns out, windmills don't fare well at all.

McGwire's best season amounted to 578 yards, one touchdown and an interception in three starts and seven games played.

As bad as his performances were, the real failure lies in whom the Seahawks didn't take in 1991. Brett Favre was taken with the 33rd selection, following McGwire and Todd Marinovich at the quarterback position. 

The first round was a big reach for McGwire, but owner Ken Behring insisted on the pick. This is just one of the reasons some believe Behring was attempting to dismantle the team's talent so he could navigate a move to Los Angeles.

While some failures are visible only through hindsight, this debacle was clear from the get-go.

2. Entire 1985 Draft

To be fair, the Seahawks started behind the eight ball in 1985. They had sent their first-round pick to the Cincinnati Bengals for Blair Bush. He played center in Seattle for five seasons.

Seattle could have drafted Kevin Glover with the pick, a four-time All-Pro selection they later signed for two seasons. This decision actually further strains the failure of 1985.

Seattle used their first pick on Owen Gill (RB, Iowa) who never played a down for the Seahawks. They could have taken a risk on Herschel Walker who was entering the NFL after leaving college early and signing with the New Jersey Generals. 

The third round led them to wide receiver Danny Greene (Washington), who never played in the NFL.

Tony Davis (TE, Missouri) was their fourth-round selection and had the same NFL career as Greene. There was little improvement, oddly enough, as the draft continued. Their most successful selection was offensive tackle Ron Mattes, taken in the seventh round.

In all, the 1985 draft for the Seattle Seahawks was a vast wasteland. They could have acquired a Pro Bowl center, a running back for whom the Minnesota Vikings would late surrender half a team, and former Bills' great Andre Reed.

Instead, the 1985 draft stands as possibly the biggest draft failure in the history of the organization.

1. Tony Dorsett, RB, Pittsburgh: 2nd Selection in 1977 Draft

Oh, what could have been.

I struggle with putting Tony Dorsett on this list, as the Seahawks could have had difficulty signing the 1977 Heisman winner. He would have also been playing behind an offensive line that was still being built.

Still, it is difficult to think about what might have been for the Seahawks had they not traded away the pick.

Seattle did acquire the 14th pick (Steve August, G) and three second-round selections. They took Tom Lynch (OT) and Terry Beeson (LB) with two of those picks, and parlayed the third into a few more trades that eventually landed them Geoff Reece (C), Duke Ferguson (WR) and Peter Cronan (LB). 

Seattle certainly gained several serviceable players by walking away from one of the best runners to ever play the game. But few championships have been built on the backs of mediocre starters.