Most media draft analysts ranked Rashaad Penny behind several other running backs still on the board when the Seattle Seahawks swiped the San Diego State product with the No. 27 overall pick.
In NFL front offices, however, Penny was a popular player.
According to Seahawks GM John Schneider, a team targeted Penny even after Seattle plucked him from the board.
"A true rarity is that we had a team call after we selected him and tried to acquire him. I've never experienced that. We feel very blessed tonight," Schneider said Thursday night, via the Seattle Times.
The Seahawks would have taken Penny at No. 18 overall had they not been able to find a trade partner, Schneider said. Seattle ended up moving back nine spots from No. 27 in a trade with the Green Bay Packers, recouping a third-round pick, swapping late-round selections and were still able to snag Penny.
"He is also going to be a three-down back for us and he can do everything," coach Pete Carroll said of his first-round runner. "He needs to work on his pass protection which he was not asked to do a lot of. But he will give us the ability to play him on all downs and that versatility is really big."
The Seahawks were able to trade back and still get their man. Had Seattle not pulled the trigger on the running back, the first-team All-American would have likely come off the board very early Friday.
