Seahawks avoid top-5 draft bust in Pro Football Focus' 2009 NFL redraft

NFL draft grades are a fun way to kill time during the offseason, but they are ultimately a useless endeavor in predicting the success or failure of each prospect. For an example, look no further than the Seattle Seahawks' 2009 class.

Leading up to the 2009 NFL draft, Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry was considered the best player in the class by many scouts. The Detroit Lions even had contract terms in place with Curry if they couldn't agree to terms with eventual No. 1 pick Matthew Stafford.

Curry fell to pick No. 4 and the Seahawks didn't hesitate to pull the trigger on the blue-chip linebacker prospect. What initially appeared to be one of the biggest steals in the draft ended up as one of the biggest busts in team history.

The writers over at Pro Football Focus allowed fans to imagine what could have been for Seattle in their 2009 NFL redraft. PFF's Max Chadwick and Trevor Sikkema had the Seahawks pass on Curry for Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Orakpo with the No. 4 pick.

"The Seahawks took the bait for NFL Scouting Combine phenom Aaron Curry, but unfortunately, he was out of the league in four years," wrote PFF. "Orakpo earned a 71.0-plus PFF pass-rush grade in seven of his 10 NFL seasons, including back-to-back 88.7 marks in 2011 and 2012."

While the Seahawks still won the Super Bowl a few years later -- and nearly repeated the following season -- one can only imagine the impact that someone like Orakpo could have had on what was an already loaded defense.

Aug 23, 2014; Baltimore, MD, USA; Washington Redskins linebacker Brian Orakpo (98) sacks Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco (5) during the first half at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images | Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

As for Curry, he wasn't a bad NFL player, he just didn't live up to the massive expectations he faced entering the league. Seattle traded the former top-five pick to the Raiders midway through his third season in 2011.

After spending a year and a half in Oakland, Curry never played another NFL down. For his career, Curry finished with 203 tackles (163 solo), 5.5 sacks and four forced fumbles in 48 games (39 starts).

Orakpo, who was selected by Washington with the 13th overall pick, played 10 NFL seasons and recorded 297 solo tackles, 66 sacks, 77 tackles for loss and 12 forced fumbles over 138 starts.

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