SEATTLE -- Considering the quantity of high picks, quality is the only thing that mattered to Mike Holmgren as Saturday's NFL Draft unfolded.

Beginning the second year of an 8-year contract as coach and executive vice president of the Seattle Seahawks, Holmgren has bid adieu to eight starters from last season's 9-7 and first Seattle playoff team since 1988. So with five picks out of the first 86 selections, this figured to be a major weekend of transition for the Hawks.

Friday, he dealt running back Ahman "Fumblina" Green to Green Bay for cornerback Fred Vinson, so it would be natural to assume he was quite confident there would be a running back to take with either the 19th or 22nd picks of the first round.

Well, not really.

"No ... I would like to say that I knew how it was going to fall," Holmgren said. "But when we made the trade yesterday it was to get a cover corner (back). If I could do that, I would deal with whatever I had to deal with at the running back situation either today, tomorrow or in the future. What it did do, however, it weighted the board a little differently, in our opinion."

Actually, it caused Holmgren to meditate with the mantra ... Shaun Alexander, Shaun Alexander, Shaun Alexander.

And as Alexander gathered with 100 or so of his closest friends at the famed Montgomery Inn Boathouse for ribs along the Ohio River in Cincinnati, the All-Southeastern Conference running back from Alabama got the phone call as the Seahawks were about to make him their No. 1 selection of the draft.

"Going as the 19th pick of the draft is a great honor, but it felt like it took five years," Alexander said.

Nonetheless, the selection of this 5-11, 218-pound multi-purpose back was just the start of Holmgren's focus of reconstructing the Seahawks. Three picks later, he added a player to help lead Alexander to success in the 21st century, Wisconsin's mammoth offensive tackle Chris McIntosh.

With their second round pick, Holmgren tagged cornerback Ike Charlton from Virginia Tech, and with the two picks they had in the third round, the Hawks added wide receiver Darrell Jackson of Florida and Jeff Ulbrich, an inside linebacker from Hawaii.

The goals were clear, though. Add talent anywhere possible; figure out how it's all going to fit together later. That's why he was thrilled to add the SEC offensive player of the year in Alexander and the Big Ten offensive lineman of the year, McIntosh.

"I feel very excited about the first round," Holmgren said. "I was a little bit on pins and needs in the first round, wondering if (Alexander) was going to get to us. Then when we got him, we were very hopeful to get one of the great tackles, and Chris McIntosh is an outstanding offensive lineman. As if the case in the first round, I was getting a little more nervous each time another pick was announced. Positions tend to go in bunches."

McIntosh, who gained notoriety as the key blocker for Heisman Trophy winner Ron Dayne, will make the transition from left tackle in college to right tackle with the Seahawks and will battle for a starting position once he learns pass-blocking technique. Alexander is expected to support and play alongside aging, perennial 1,000-yard rusher Ricky Watters.

Don't for a moment think Alexander isn't prepared. He said he's studied the styles of Gale Sayers, Marcus Allen, O.J. Simpson and others throughout his life. Let's face it, he's the all-time leader in Alabama history, with 3,565 yards rushing and 50 touchdowns. Alexander already has a degree in marketing from last May, and has been taking other financial courses that will prepare him for the rigors of an NFL contract.

He thought a lot about going to a team where he could start right away, but he also understands the advantages of coming to the Seahawks. And he's talking about more than just the high finance that will quickly become so relevant to his future.

"I think that playing with Ricky Watters changes things because you're going to be taught by one of the better players in the league and he's won championships, so it's going to be fun," Alexander said. "It's not a bad situation when you're going to be taught by great players and great coaches, who have won championships."

A typical first round pick? Not quite.

"When it happened ... it was great," Holmgren conceded. "There were a lot of happy faces and a lot of applause in the room. When Shawn was available, we were targeting him all the way and it worked out well for us."

Shaun Alexander (right) gets a hug from his brother Durran after getting the call from Seattle.(AP)

Unlike the 100 people clamoring around Alexander, McIntosh stopped and counted the 15 people surrounding him at his home in tiny Heartland, Wis. Being a Wisconsin native, the 6-7, 320-pound McIntosh had the opportunity to watch first hand how Holmgren transformed the Packers back into championship contenders. "What they did here stands on its own merit," McIntosh said. "I couldn't be more excited to play for him."

The excitement on draft day is palpable. The draftees always seem a little bigger, a little smarter and a lot faster than they really are, while the teams and coaching staffs tend to have an inflated appeal. As Holmgren continues to settle into his dual role with the Seahawks, he must deal with reality. And reality says, losing eight starters on a team that lost six of its last seven games including the playoffs, a return trip to the playoffs will be no small order.

He called Cincinnati, inquiring about what it would take, presumably to get the fourth pick and take super-receiver Peter Warrick. It didn't happen. He considered moving further up, too, perhaps to assure the selection of Alexander. Regardless of what almost happened, the pieces Holmgren and the Seahawks did put together Saturday -- in addition to what happened during the course last season to make the playoffs for the first time since 1988 -- do represent the kind of change owner Paul Allen during the two transition years in the University of Washington Stadium while a new stadium is constructed.

Nonetheless, they want to win, too. And Saturday's experience at least felt like a victory. But did they fill need and value?

"I would hope," Holmgren said, "we did both."