Aaron Curry SELECTED BY: Seahawks Round 1 (4)

SI Grade 4.36 GRADING SYSTEM

BIOGRAPHY: Four-year starter awarded All-American, and all-Conference honors as a senior as well as being honored with the Butkus Award, handed to the nation's best linebacker. Led Wake Forest in tackles and tackles for loss as a senior, posting 105/16/2.5. Also intercepted one pass last year and broke up three more. All-Conference selection as a junior after totals of 99/13.5/3 with four. Sophomore totals included 83/8.5/3. Named to several freshman All-America teams in 2005 after totals of 45/7.5/1.

POSITIVES: Game impacting linebacker whose draft stock has soared the past six months. Physical, aggressive, and plays with great suddenness. Appears out of nowhere to launch jarring hit against ball handlers, forcing fumbles, and creating turnovers. Collapses down the line to make plays, gets through blocks and displays terrific speed in every direction of the field. Immediately alters his angle of attack without losing momentum, covers a lot of area, and keeps the action in front of him. Powerful at the point, and overwhelms blockers or jams tight ends at the line of scrimmage and slows their release off the snap. Sells out on the blitz, forceful up the field, and shows skill in pursuit. Tremendous open field tackler who makes a lot of athletic plays in space. Fluid moving in reverse, displays skill in coverage and a quick break to the throw. Stays with assignments, and plays disciplined football. Goes hard sideline-to-sideline and constantly around the ball.

NEGATIVES: Does not consistently take proper angles to the action, and he occasionally overruns the play. Prior to his senior season, he showed a lot of hesitation to his game. Lack of height could cause him problems against tall tight ends at the next level.

ANALYSIS: Curry has been a productive player at Wake Forest, and he presented himself as one of the top defensive players in the nation last season. He possesses the speed, athleticism, and strength to immediately break into a starting lineup on the NFL level and offers All-Pro type of ability. Curry is a three-down linebacker who creates opportunities for the defense, and he can be used in a variety of roles for a defensive coordinator.

PROJECTION: First Round