Not only were Seahawks fans surprised to hear James Carpenter’s name announced as the No. 25 pick in the 2011 NFL Draft; Capenter himself was surprised. Seen as a second- or third-round pick, Carpenter was suddenly called upon as the Seahawks stepped to the podium, and the choice was almost universally panned. His name hadn’t been bandied about by any NFL Draft experts, leaving fans at home asking “who?” when his name was called.
Here’s what Carpenter had to say about the pick and where he expected to be drafted (via John Boyle).
New #Seahawks draft pick James Carpenter said he thought he’d be a second-round pick. “I’m glad somebody had faith in me.”
Nevertheless, he is the newest Seahawks and we’ll wait to pass judgment. Carpenter fills a need and will step-in at right tackle opposite Russell Okung on the offensive line. It may be a reach, but it’s who the Seahawks wanted, and they got their man, for whatever that’s worth.
We’ll be covering the latest news and rumors throughout the entire process in our 2011 NFL Draft StoryStream. Stay with us for more on the draft as it becomes available. Check out our 2011 NFL mock draft StoryStream and our Jake Locker StoryStream for even more predictions and projections.