RENTON, Wash. (AP) — The Seattle Seahawks have addressed issues with depth on their offensive line, selecting Alabama offensive tackle James Carpenter with the 25th pick of the NFL draft.
The choice of Carpenter was a surprise considering the other names still available that were expected to be taken earlier in the first round.
Carpenter played left tackle for the Crimson Tide but is likely to be moved to the right side after Seattle drafted Russell Okung with the No. 6 overall pick in the 2010 draft. Carpenter started 27 games in his two seasons at Alabama, but was a surprise to be taken ahead of Wisconsin’s Gabe Carimi.
Carpenter saw his draft stock rise when he showed the ability to play both tackle positions at the Senior Bowl.
