Seahawks should not trade down if Brian Burns is available

The Seahawks need a pass rusher in the 2019 NFL draft. If Brian Burns is still around at pick number 21, Seattle should take him.

For once, the Seahawks main draft need is not an offensive lineman. This is good and bad. Seattle has a seemingly better offensive line now but now the pass rush is a major concern. Fortunately, the 2019 NFL draft has a bounty of good pass rushers.

Seattle has no chance to take Joey Bosa, of course. He should be among the top two picks of the draft. Beyond Bosa, though, there may be no more perfect player for Seattle to choose than Florida State edge rusher Brian Burns. Burns teamed with Frank Clark would be a formidable thing for an opponent.

Pete Carroll doesn’t have to have his edge rushers be huge. Seattle signed Michael Bennett and Cliff Avril before the 2013 season and those two players helped turned the Seahawks into a championship team. Neither player weighed more than 275 pounds. Clark himself plays at 270 pounds. Burns doesn’t weigh even that much, but his athleticism helps make up for any size deficiency.

Therein lies the biggest reason that Seattle, a team that always trades down in the first round, should stand still at pick number 21 and take Burns if he is still there to be taken. Carroll loves to have versatility in his players. Burns at six-foot-five-inches and 250 pounds, is fast enough to drop back to linebacker as well on certain downs. On obvious passing downs, Burns could play linebacker and open up the defensive end spot opposite Clark for another pass rush specialist.

Burns would need to gain some weight to be a productive every down player his rookie season. He is a bit too small and teams could push him when running the ball. But Burns’ athleticism also allows him to pursue running backs well. He ran a 4.53 40 at the combine. His speed is legitimate.

The main reason for choosing Burns, though, is he will get to the opposing quarterback. This would free Clark and defensive tackle Jarran Reed to pressure the quarterback as well. Seattle managed to be decent with just two pass rushers in 2018. Adding Burns would give them three in 2019. Three is better than two.