Where the 2009 Seattle Seahawks Draft Picks Will Be On Opening Day

As this year's crop of draft picks prepares for the upcoming season, it is important to understand how each player will fit into to their team's goals.

Expectations vary from first rounders to seventh rounders, but one question has to be asked of every player involved: what will this player contribute in 2009?

With this in mind, here is a closer look at the Seattle Seahawks 2009 Draft Class and where each one could play in 2009.

Round One – Pick Four – LB Aaron Curry (Wake Forest)
Projected Role: Starting Outside Linebacker

Dubbed by many experts the safest pick in the 2009 NFL Draft, Curry fell to the fourth overall pick in the draft, where the Seattle Seahawks were waiting with open arms.

Curry will join MLB Lofa Tatupu and OLB Leroy Hill in one of the most talented linebacking corps in the NFL.

Curry has the strength, speed, and size to succeed at the next level. With All Pro linebacker Lofa Tatupu as a mentor, he could easily mature into a Pro Bowl caliber linebacker.

Regardless of future success, Curry will be an immediate starter on the Seattle Seahawks defense.

Round Two – Pick 17 – OL Max Unger (Oregon)
Projected Role: Backup Offensive Lineman

Backup offensive lineman is as descriptive as Unger’s role for 2009 can get. Health concerns and interchanging parts on the Seahawks offensive line contribute to Unger’s playing time being completely unpredictable.

Click here to read one of the best Seahawks articles I have read this year, in which John Morgan brilliantly outlines the various possibilities for the Seattle offensive line.

Despite these outside variables, one thing is certain: Max Unger can flat out play football.

He was an All-American center at Oregon, Yahoo! Sports has him projected as an offensive tackle, and the previously mentioned Morgan article has him most often at offensive guard.

He is strong, talented, and versatile, and will certainly factor into the 2009 Seattle Seahawks season.

Round Three – Pick 27 – WR Deon Butler (Penn State)
Projected Role: Fourth String Wide Receiver

T.J. Houshmandzadeh, Deion Branch, and Nate Burleson have the top three wide receiver slots occupied heading into 2009. After this established talent, however, the depth chart is wide open.

Butler’s biggest competition will be third year receiver Ben Obomanu and (one article labeled the following players "a group of names which belong to soap opera stars") wide receivers Jordan Kent, Courtney Taylor, and Logan Payne.

Preliminary reports out of camp have been complimentary of Butler’s skill and adaptation to the Seahawks playbook.

Now it will be up to Butler to play his way into more playing time.

Round Six – Pick Five – QB Mike Teel (Rutgers)
Projected Role: Third String Quarterback

As a sixth round pick, making the opening day roster would be an accomplishment for Mike Teel. He needs to beat out former Nevada quarterback Jeff Rowe to do so, but it is certainly possible.

Teel has what it takes to succeed in the NFL. He has a strong arm and throws an accurate ball, but his pocket mobility and field vision need improvement.

That being said, some writers believe that Teel could be the Seattle Seahawks quarterback of the future. He doesn’t have what it takes to play now, but with time he could evolve into a legitimate quarterback.

There is also a chance that Teel will go down the path of Charlie Frye, the last guy that the Seahawks tried to groom into the quarterback of the future.

For now, Teel will be either third string on the depth chart or relegated to the practice squad, learning the Seahawks playbook and waiting for a chance to play.

Round Seven – Pick 36 – S Courtney Greene (Rutgers)
Projected Role: Second String Free Safety

In an attempted monopoly of Rutgers NFL talent, the Seahawks drafted safety Courtney Greene with a compensatory selection at the end of the 2009 NFL Draft.

Greene had the potential to be taken on the first day of this year’s draft, but a poor combine performance and an even worse senior day dropped his draft stock significantly.

Despite these poor tryouts, Greene’s college career was outstanding, starting for four years and eclipsing 100 tackles in two different seasons.

Greene can beat out current backup free safety C.J. Wallace for the gig, although a stint on the practice squad is not far-fetched.

Round Seven – Pick 38 – DE Nick Reed (Oregon)
Projected Role: Practice Squad

Nick Reed is a natural athlete, a hustler, and a former All-American at the University of Oregon. Despite these great attributes, he currently lacks the size to play defensive end at the next level.

Seahawks coaches have been proactive about Reed’s skill set; however, casting him as a pass rusher who can be brought in for specific situations.

The bottom line is that if the Seahawks are going to carry any pass rushers on their roster, they have the depth at defensive end to choose a more talented and/or more experienced player than Nick Reed.

His lack of size can be overcome, as a number of undersized college prospects have developed into NFL stars (e.g. Lofa Tatupu).

He could mature into an NFL player eventually, but he will probably start 2009 on the practice squad.

Round Seven – Pick 39 – TE Cameron Morrah (California)
Projected Role: Third String Tight End/Practice Squad

Cameron Morrah enters the NFL with questionable experience but immeasurable raw talent.

Morrah started at the University of California for only one season before Mark Sanchez-ing his way to the NFL Draft.

His size and strength made him a red zone threat during his junior year, as he caught eight touchdown passes on only 27 total receptions.

Morrah has the size and speed to play at the next level, but his decision-making, route running, and blocking skills still need to improve before he can contribute to an NFL franchise.

If he impresses the coaches in preseason workouts he could make the opening day roster, but odds are he will start the season on the practice squad and work his way up from there.

Even if he starts the 2009 season on the practice squad, don’t be surprised if you hear from him in the next two or three years.

That concludes the predictions for this year's draft class.

Please comment with what you agree or disagree on.

sk.