Wilson facing long odds to be Seahawks' starter in '12
It's worth noting how difficult it is for a player chosen after the second round to start on Opening Day in his rookie season. The last time a rookie selected after the second round started a season opener was way back in 2005, when Kyle Orton, a fourth-rounder with the Bears and the 106th prospect off the board that year, opened the campaign.
"Believe me, it's really on-the-job training," Orton, now the backup to Tony Romo in Dallas, told The Sports Xchange.
The former Purdue quarterback was 10-5 as a starter his rookie season, including an eight-game winning streak.
There were 46 quarterbacks picked after the first two rounds in the six-year stretch 2006-11, and none started the season opener as a rookie for his respective team.
The undersized Wilson, plucked by the Seahawks in the third round, with the No. 75 overall choice, has overcome long odds most of his career. And the past isn't necessarily a prelude to the future or a predictor of how he'll eventually fare in the league. But the strong endorsement of coach Pete Carroll aside, Wilson will have a rough time overcoming the recent history of passers taken in the third round or later.
So it's no surprise that Carroll has tabbed six-year pro Tarvaris Jackson to take the first-team snaps at the outset of camp. A much bigger surprise will be if it's Wilson at the top of the depth chart for the Seahawks' opener at Arizona on Sept. 9.
