It appeared the Seahawks' 2019 draft came to an end in the sixth round with the selection of defensive tackle Demarcus Christmas, but Seattle apparently wanted one more player badly enough to give up a pick in next year's draft in order to get back into the seventh round this year.
After using all 10 of their picks, the Seahawks sent a 2020 sixth-rounder to Jacksonville for a seventh-round pick, No. 236 overall, and they used that pick to take University of Hawaii receiver John Ursua.
Ursua, who is 5-foot-9, 182 pounds, led the nation in touchdown receptions in 2018 with 16, and caught 89 passes for 1,343 yards. A big-play threat, Ursua averaged 15.1 yards per catch while recording a team-leading 16 catches of 20 or more yards. He was a semifinalist for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes to college football's top receiver, as well as a finalist for the Polynesian Player of the Year Award. Ursua was also named his team's MVP.
Before getting the call from Seattle, Ursua figured he was headed towards undrafted free agency.
"I honestly thought my chances (of getting drafted) were out the window," Ursua said on a conference call. "There were teams calling me and offering me undrafted free agent positions. I kind of just sat there patiently kind of pondering what would be my best fit if I went undrafted, then out of nowhere I get a call from Pete Carroll and they were telling me they were on the clock. I didn't see their name up there, but sure enough they got it done. It was a miracle for me."
Ursua saw it as a sign of Seattle's faith in his abilities that they reached into their 2020 draft picks to make sure they could get him.
"Oh man, they have gone over and beyond to show their trust and faith in me," he said. "I'm so blessed and humbled to have this opportunity. I got to visit there on the 30 visit, and I loved it out there. I love Coach Pete, I love their staff. It's just such an honor that they would do that for me--trade one of next year's picks for me. It was a huge blessing for me."
Here's the full Seahawks draft class for 2019:
Round 1, 29 overall: DE L.J. Collier, TCU
Round 2, 47 overall: FS Marquise Blair, Utah
Round 2, 64 overall: WR D.K. Metcalf, Mississippi
Round 3, 88 overall: LB Cody Barton, Utah
Round 4, 120 overall: WR Gary Jennings, West Virginia
Round 4, 124 overall: G Phil Haynes, Wake Forest
Round 4, 132 overall: S Ugo Amadi, Oregon
Round 5, 142 overall: LB Ben Burr-Kirven, Washington
Round 6, 204 overall: RB Travis Homer, Miami
Round 6, 209 overall: DT Demarcus Christmas, Florida State
Round 7, 236 overall: WR John Ursua, Hawaii
With pick No. 236 overall in the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected John Ursua, a wide receiver out of Hawaii.