With the 23rd pick in the fifth round of the 2011 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected Richard Sherman, a cornerback from Stanford. Once again, Pete Carroll and John Schneider drafted for need in an effort to shore-up the defensive backfield. Seattle needed a cornerback to step-in for Kelly Jennings, who is undersized and doesn’t quite fit the defensive scheme, and addressed the need through the draft.
At 6-foot-2, 195 pounds, Sherman has the size to be a bit more physical than the current Seahawks corners, but the pick is, once again, a reach. Sherman was widely seen as a seventh round pick, if not an undrafted free agent. If there’s one thing we know by now, it’s that Carroll and Schneider are set in their ways and willing to go against the grain in the draft.
For more on the Seahawks and up-to-the-minute draft analysis, head over to SB Nation’s Field Gulls.
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 for even more predictions and projections. Check out our 2011 NFL Draft grades StoryStream for an early look at the picks, as well