The two rookie draft picks reportedly signed by the Seahawks – fourth-round guard Mansfield Wrotto and fifth-round linebacker Will Herring – bring up an interesting point for discussion. Both are players with limited experience at the positions they’ll be asked to play in the NFL. Wrotto played on the Georgia Tech defensive line for three seasons before switching to the offensive line last year. Herring was a three-year starter at safety before stepping in at outside linebacker last year. Why spend draft picks on players who are relatively inexperienced at the job you expect them to do?

Certainly, players grow and change, and their college teams may have positions that need to be filled, requiring a player to jump in. NFL scouts seem to like these converts because they tend to have carryover skills. A converted defensive lineman would be expected to bring a more aggressive approach to the guard position, for instance. Maybe he plays meaner, has a better initial thrust and “punch” and turns into the mauler-type they love. It would be easier to teach an aggressive defender the offensive line techniques than it would be to try to instill those instincts into a career guard who already knows the position but plays it more passively. Meanwhile, a linebacker who played safety should have superior quickness and innate coverage ability.

New Sonics GM Sam Presti has stressed the desire to land guys who can play more than one position. In the fluid game of the NBA, there’s more value in that versatility. In the NFL, it’s mostly meaningful only as an indicator of athleticism. Breaking away from the conventional positional blueprints is sound when the football skills warrant. The undersized Lofa Tatupu is a perfect example. But certain positions require specific physical characteristics for good reasons, reasons that have been proven over time.

Sometimes the transition is not smooth. Michael Boulware may be one of the best and most instinctive athletes on the team. He played linebacker at Florida State and was moved to strong safety by the Hawks. He’s made a number of big plays for the Seahawks … mostly once the ball was in the air, when he could just go and get it. But he’s been vulnerable to giving up the big play on the deep ball. What might be at work there are his deeply ingrained instincts to charge the line on the ball fake as he was taught all those years as a linebacker. The problems led to his replacement in the starting lineup.

How will it work for Wrotto and Herring? Wrotto is 6-3, 317 and plenty strong. He looks shorter because he has what scouts refer to as “good sand,” meaning a very low center of gravity. To be honest, I didn’t see enough of him in minicamps to make any sort of judgment. There’s enough players ahead of him, though, that he should have some time to learn the game. The first impression of Herring was obvious … he’s too small. The Hawks list him at 6-3, 221, which makes him look like a good-sized safety (2 pounds lighter than Boulware). He’s very quick and can get to the ball, where he could easily be absolutely detonated by a lead back. It’s just a first impression. He’ll surely beef up somewhat. And Tatupu’s success stands as a warning about making snap judgments based on size alone. Herring will have to earn his pay on special teams for a while, anyway, where his speed and coursing skills could make him extremely effective.