Bruce Irvin: Breaking Down Pro Potential of Seattle Seahawks 1st Round Pick

Pete Carroll is far from your traditional coach, so it really shouldn't come as a huge surprise that he and the Seattle Seahawks made the most surprising pick in the first round of the 2012 NFL draft.

However, we could hardly blame you for wondering who the heck that pick, West Virginia's Bruce Irvin, actually is.

You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who projected him as a first round lock, let alone a top 15 pick, and that is because he's not a complete football player. Carroll knows this though, as he recruited him heavily at USC, and he must have something in mind for his new star to reach for him so early in the selection process.

While there is no denying the pick was a reach, here's a look at what Irvin brings to Seattle, the chances he has of succeeding on Sundays and why Carroll and company drafted him.

Pure Pass Rusher

Checking in around 6'3", 245 pounds, Irvin is woefully undersized as a 4-3 defensive end. He does have unique burst, explosion and speed off the line, but he has absolutely no chance of anchoring against the run or setting an edge.

Seattle knows this.

What Irvin can do is destroy tackles off the edge with his speed and motor. The Seahawks saw 11 of their 33 sacks last season come from one guy, Chris Clemons, and they had little success elsewhere across the board.

Finding someone who can truly terrorize quarterbacks was something they were very heavily interested in, but with Irvin they won't be able to do it in a traditional manner.

That is fine with them.

Creativity

Carroll loves to get creative with his defenses and that is easily the best selling point they have in this selection. With Irvin's speed they can use him in sub-packages that allow him to focus on one thing and one thing only: hitting the quarterback.

He's the size of a linebacker, but he doesn't have coverage skills and often finds himself out of position when asked to do something other pass rush. 

Many expected a 3-4 team to convert Irvin to a 3-4 rush linebacker, but that isn't what the Seahawks do.

Instead, they'll expect him to contribute in much the same way Aldon Smith did for the 49ers this past season. While Irvin isn't the type of elite prospect Smith was coming out last year, he has the potential to be that type of terror to opposing quarterbacks.

Tolerance

Although far from a schematic fit, there couldn't be a better coaching staff to work with Irvin than Carroll's in Seattle.

He knows Irvin personally, knows his off-field struggles and is far from rigid.

The rookie needs to mature both on and off the field, but the Seahawks are a solid organization to help him do exactly that.

While the Seahawks probably could have moved down the board and drafted him later, he is a guy they know well and obviously have plans for. His pass rush ability is something they hope to tap into immediately and don't be surprised if he finds success with Carroll pulling the strings.