One of the biggest surprises in the first round of this year’s NFL draft came with the 15th pick, when the Seahawks chose defensive end Bruce Irvin. Four months later, Irvin is still motivated to show that his selection in the first half of the first round shouldn’t have been a surprise.
“I went in the first round, and some people thought I was a reach,” Irvin said, via the Tacoma News-Tribune. “So there’s going to be expectations. All I can do is bust my butt and work hard and I know success will come.”
Irvin hasn’t done a lot to prove the doubters wrong in his three preseason games, but he says he’s confident that he will prove the doubters wrong this season.
“People are talking about how I haven’t gotten a sack yet, but it’s the preseason; you’ll always face adversity, and the best way to deal with it is to just keep working hard,” Irvin said.
Irvin has been overshadowed this preseason by Seattle’s third-round pick, Russell Wilson. Wilson appears to be a steal, but Irvin has work to do to prove he wasn’t a reach.