Why the Seahawks had to have Luke Willson

By Brady Henderson

Tight end Luke Willson was the first player coach Pete Carroll mentioned when asked who stood out on the first day of the Seahawks’ rookie minicamp.

“I thought Luke Willson did some cool stuff today,” Carroll told “Afternoons with the Go 2 Guy” on Friday. “He looked very fast. He ran a great time [in the 40-yard dash]; it was 4.50, 4.51 or something like that. It looked like it today on the practice field. He got loose up the sidelines and got to turn it on a couple times and caught the ball really well. So that’s an exciting first day for that guy.”

Willson had all of nine catches for 126 yards last season as Rice’s backup tight end. Yet, according to general manager John Schneider, Willson was a player the Seahawks felt they had to have when they drafted him in the fifth round last month.

“We really, really would have been disappointed if we wouldn’t have been able to acquire him,” Schneider told “Brock and Danny” Friday, comparing Willson to Bruce Irvin and Russell Wilson from last year’s draft in that regard.

Why were the Seahawks so high on Willson? Brock Huard offers his take in the video below.

You can listen to Friday’s show here.