For the latest in trend setting, the Pacific Northwest has replaced Manhattan and Beverly Hills as the place to gawk.

At least in regard to NFL trends. On both sides of the ball.

The Seattle Seahawks have received credit for bringing rookie quarterback Russell Wilson into the read-option offensive movement last season.

Overlooked is how the Seahawks’ defense also introduced, or brought back into vogue, the big cornerback. With offenses struggling to figure out a way to get their receivers past Seattle cornerbacks Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner, the Seahawks allowed only 15.3 points per game, best in the NFL.

“I believe you have to be committed to it,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said at the NFL meetings in Phoenix last week. “I’ve been committed to it since N.C. State a million years ago (more accurately, 1980). It’s just hard to find guys. We’ve been fortunate to find two guys in the same lifetime who play together.”

Other teams have noticed, including the Broncos, who signed 6-foot-2 Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie in free agency to be their right cornerback.

And they hope to find the next “Night Train” Lane during the April 25-27 draft. Know this: The Broncos will draft a cornerback, running back and defensive lineman in the first three rounds. Maybe in that order.

And when the Broncos scour the tape of draft-eligible cornerbacks, they will pay close attention to players 6-feet or taller.

The Seahawks showed the Broncos the way.

Sherman is 6-3 and 195 pounds. He brags too much — if he wouldn’t keep proclaiming himself as the NFL’s best cornerback, more people would call him the league’s best corner — but he’s a rare blend of size and man-to-man coverage skills.

But he’s not that rare in Seattle. Playing the other corner is Browner, who has corner-outfielder size (6-4, 221) and nine interceptions in the past two seasons.

“First off, they’re harder to find than just wanting to do it,” Carroll said. “There are not many tall guys that can run fast enough and have enough athleticism to play. I’ve been looking my whole life for these guys.

“What it does bring is, if you’re a bump-and-run team, what the tall guys do is they create a bigger obstacle for the wide receivers to get around. That manipulation at the line of scrimmage is what you want as a defensive player, to slow the opportunity for a receiver to get downfield.”

If the Broncos draft a running back in the first round, they will probably go for a corner in the second. If they go for a corner in the first round, expect them to draft a running back in the second.

At both positions, the Broncos want above-average size. The larger running back candidates are Eddie Lacy, Le’Veon Bell, Christine Michael, Spencer Ware, Stepfan Taylor, Stefphon Jefferson and Montee Ball.

The larger cornerback candidates are Xavier Rhodes, Johnthan Banks, Darius Slay, Blidi Wreh-Wilson, David Amerson and Tharold Simon.

“Receivers get in their stance and take off downfield, if you let them do that that’s what they want to do,” Carroll said. “If you can restrict that, you’re factoring into their ability to perform at a high level.”

Champ Bailey will play at age 35 this season. It will be almost impossible to replace a corner with 12 Pro Bowl berths, but the Broncos realize that day is coming. If you’re going to eventually replace a corner such as Champ, you may as well go big.

Mike Klis: 303-954-1055, mklis@denverpost.com or twitter.com/mikeklis