At first glance, it appears that Wagner will be looked upon to immediately fill the void left by David Hawthorne, who signed a five-year deal with the New Orleans Saints this offseason. Hawthorne led Seattle in 2011 with 115 total tackles playing alongside fellow starters Leroy Hill and K.J. Wright.
As is generally the case with second round picks, Wagner should be counted on to compete for, and likely earn a starting role. This all obviously looks that much more likely with Hawthorne being out of the picture now.
For anyone who has scouted Wagner extensively, this should not come as a surprise. Wagner is similar to Hawthorne in size, and with his instincts and ball-hawking ability, should be able to fit in nicely with Hill and Wright's experience.
Hill is a seasoned veteran at this point, having surpassed 70 tackles in five of his six NFL seasons, and going over 80 tackles in four of his last five. His 89 tackles in 2011 was the second highest total of his career (all with Seattle).
