Widely considered to be the best defensive player available in the 2009 draft when the offseason began, Aaron Curry has done nothing whatsoever to alter that glowing perception.

At this year’s Scouting Combine, the Seahawks’ No. 1 pick emerged from workouts clearly looking like the nation’s No. 1 linebacker, earning the best marks at his position in the 40-yard dash (4.56 seconds), vertical leap (37 inches) and broad jump (10 feet, 4 inches).

Curry also made an excellent impression at the Combine in interviews with the national media.

At the Seahawks’ OTAs and minicamps this offseason, the ’09 draft’s fourth overall selection has picked right up where he left off in Indy, displaying unexpectedly strong pass-rush skills that bode well for a defense that experienced a significant decline last season.

“At the last minicamp, it was the first time he stepped up as a down lineman in passing situations a la Julian Peterson, and he just blew everyone away,” a veteran source on the scene told PFW.

“He’s the only rookie who has been told flat-out that he was going to start from the get-go, and he never stops working. He’s always going 100 miles per hour. At Wake Forest, the focus was more on him dropping into coverage, and he just didn’t have to use his pass-rush skills as much. But they’re very evident.

“The coaches are really excited because, with Curry and Leroy Hill, who had 7½ sacks as a rookie, they have two outside linebackers who can both blitz and drop into coverage, which should make the defense a lot more versatile.”

We hear Curry is also drawing rave reviews off the field.

“They’ve been very impressed with him in the meeting rooms,” the source said. “The coaches are really stressing the need for the players to see the entire picture, to get a better understanding of what the other guys will be doing, and he’s doing that well. He’s also extremely articulate, a great kid who is fun to talk to. You ask him a question, and he always comes back with intelligent, thoughtful answers that just seem to flow very naturally.

“He’s the total package. He’s big and fast, and he’s got really quick hips. You keep looking for the slightest flaw, but there just haven’t been any. The only thing might be that he doesn’t know the entire defense — yet.”