In most rooms, Russell Wilson blends in just fine.
At 5-foot-11, he's by no means a shrimp, but in the buildup to the NFL draft, Wilson's "height issue" dominated scouting reports. His promising 72.8 completion percentage as a senior at Wisconsin was alluring, but quarterbacks under six feet aren't usually long for the NFL.
The Seattle Seahawks weren't afraid to take a chance on Wilson in the third round. If the pick surprised onlookers, Wilson expected it.
"No, I wasn't surprised at all," Wilson told WTSO-AM in Madison, Wis., via SportsRadioInterviews.com. "I'd talked to several teams and they thought I could go in the second or third round, and talent-wise, I had all the talent in the world and just, the only knock on me was my height."
"Obviously, if you've seen, throughout my career and playing at the University of Wisconsin, being behind those big offensive linemen, the height's not a factor. And that's just what I had to show teams, and I put it on tape. And that's what I kept telling teams: 'Just watch the tape and watch the way I play, I have a high, quick release.' And when teams measured my arms and my hands and everything, they were like, 'Man, this kid's got arms of a 6-5 quarterback.' "
Wilson called Seattle a great situation, and his words are more than bluster. Our very own Brian McIntyre believes Seattle is prepared to furnish Wilson with a legitimate chance to press Tarvaris Jackson and Matt Flynn for the starting role. Coach Pete Carroll isn't talking about Wilson's height, he's talking about the rookie possibly pushing the veterans. They didn't sign Flynn for a summer fling, and you don't part ways with third-round draft picks if you can help it. We believe both Flynn and Wilson will make the roster.
It's a crowded house at quarterback. Jackson's place in the order remains uncertain as we head toward camp.
