With the 15th pick in the 2012 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks have selected Bruce Irvin, linebacker from West Virginia. While Bruce Irvin is a good player, this is the biggest and first shock pick of the draft. It was expected that the Seahawks might select a pass rusher, but Chandler Jones, Andre Branch, Melvin Ingram, Quinton Coples and several others of note were still on the board, as was an excellent offensive tackle in Riley Reiff.
Bruce Irvin's stock has been rising lately, but wasn't thought to be more than a mid-second rounder. For him to go in the top 15 is baffling. Irvin was a situational pass rusher in college and was not on the field for every down. However, he is thought by some to be the best pure pass rusher in the entire draft and if the Seahawks see him as a replacement for Aaron Curry and someone who they can let loose to terrorize quarterbacks, he may have success. If he is asked to do too much, he may be in over his head and the Seahawks will look very silly for taking him so early.
Follow along with the entire NFL draft at SB Nation's main story stream and at Mocking The Draft. For more on the NFC West, you can check out Turf Show Times for the St. Louis Rams, Revenge of the Birds for the Arizona Cardinals and Field Gulls for the Seattle Seahawks.