If you told me the Seahawks would be getting two of the top three draft picks in the 2013 NFL draft, I probably would’ve died and gone to heaven.  Of course, when those picks are notorious busts Luke Joeckel and Dion Jordan – and the 2013 draft in general is notorious for being one of the worst in recent memory – it’s a lot less impressive.

Dion Jordan hasn’t played professional football since 2014, a year when he was suspended for 6 games.  He was also suspended for the entire 2015 season, and apparently spent the 2016 season injured.  Even when he was out there, he wasn’t anything to write home about (something to complain home about, maybe), as he has 3 career sacks to his name, and not much else on the stat sheet.

So, you know, maybe don’t get TOO excited about this.  He was really highly regarded coming out of college, but obviously that hasn’t translated to the NFL game.  He’s got the size and athletic ability you like out of a pass rushing end, but I don’t know how effective he’ll be.  Best case scenario:  he starts at SAM linebacker and rushes the passer in nickel situations.  Worst case scenario:  he’s camp fodder who gets released in the pre-season.  I assume there’s little guaranteed on his contract, which means there’s little risk to give him a shot at making the team.  By all accounts, he’s turned his life around from a drug perspective, but I’d say the two knee surgeries he had (on which knee, I have no idea; it’s like there’s some conspiracy among the media to not disclose which knee had the two surgeries) is a bigger concern.  How explosive will he be?  Will he be able to stay healthy?  Is he worth the risk, if he’s just going to get injured again in the regular season?

That’s what we’ll have to find out as the pre-season gets underway.  Speaking of which, here’s the schedule if you haven’t already seen it:

• Week 1 – at L.A. Chargers
• Week 2 – vs. Minnesota
• Week 3 – vs. Kansas City
• Week 4 – at Oakland

I don’t have a lot of thoughts about the pre-season schedule.  My lone prerequisite is that it doesn’t involve a lot of travel (considering the Seahawks have the most travel to contend with during the regular season almost every year).  As usual, we see a lot of AFC West teams, and of particular interest is that we only have to go to Los Angeles and Oakland, which aren’t very far at all.  It kind of stinks having to play the Vikings’ defense in back-to-back years, but you gotta figure those two home games will be nice tests as we warm up to the regular season.

I’m hearing the rest of the NFL schedule could be released anytime this month, so be on the lookout for that.  And, of course, the NFL draft takes place in the final weekend of April, so lots to talk about in the near future.