Jennings, Tapp ready to perform for Seattle

By Connor Byrne  |   Thursday, May 04, 2006  |  Comments( 0 )

Seattle Seahawks
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The Seattle Seahawks entered last weekend's NFL Draft knowing full-well that they didn't need a vast amount of help with their roster to make another run at the elite next season. Their offense, led by quarterback Matt Hasselbeck, NFL MVP running back Shaun Alexander, and receiver Darrell Jackson didn't need much help, so they addressed the defensive side of the ball with their top two picks.

With the 31st selection in the draft, the Seahawks selected former Miami Hurricanes cornerback Kelly Jennings. Going into the draft, it was fairly evident the Seahawks would take a corner with their No. 1 pick, with Jennings being among the likeliest. Thus, it was no big shock when he ended up having his name called by the best team in the NFC.

The 5'10", 178-pound Jennings compares favorably to Houston Texans starting cornerback Philip Buchanon (also from "The U"), and though he needs to work on his play against the run, defensive coordinator John Marshall along with defensive backs coaches Daryl Austin and Larry Marmie should go a long way towards making the rookie a big-time contributor for Seattle's defense.

Since the Seahawks already have Marcus Trufant and Kelly Herndon as their starting corners, they'll be able to use Jennings in nickel packages, which will allow him to develop at a steady pace.

In the second round of the draft, the Seattle Seahawks took one of the most underrated defensive ends available, former Virginia Tech star Darryl Tapp. The 262-pound Tapp, who ran a solid 4.81 40, is a great addition to Seattle's defense. One of the anchors of the Hokies' roster, Tapp led by example throughout his college career with his high-motor and tremendous attitude, earning the respect and adulation of his teammates.

Initially, Tapp will serve as a reserve/situational pass-rusher for the Seahawks because they already have Bryce Fisher and Grant Wistrom penciled in as the starters. However, if one goes down with an injury the Seahawks can feel good about Tapp filling in. The youngster has all the tools to be a terrific player at the NFL level. He may be relatively unknown to the average NFL fan at the moment, but he'll become a known entity soon.

GM Tim Ruskell and head coach Mike Holmgren have had terrific drafts in Seattle recently, and that's been one of the things that has elevated them to one of the top teams in the league. Of course, the Seahawks lost a heartbreaker to the Pittsburgh Steelers in last year's Super Bowl, but with young acquisitions like Jennings and Tapp, they may find themselves on the better end of the deal in 2006.

--Connor Byrne can be reached at cbyrne@realfootball365.com.
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