Quinton Jefferson, the unexpected star of the Seahawks defensive line
The Seahawks made a lot of noise with key additions to their defensive line. Naturally, their most productive player has been the unsung Quinton Jefferson.
The Seahawks came into the NFL draft with a huge task before them. They had traded away their top pass-rusher Frank Clark. Seattle addressed that hole and then some by drafting L.J. Collier and then signing free agent Ezekiel Ansah. With the suspension of Jarran Reed, the worries ramped up again. All the Hawks did was sign Jadeveon Clowney in one of the offseason’s biggest moves. So of course, the best pass rusher so far has been third-year player Quinton Jefferson.
Collier and Ansah have both been held back by injuries, although Collier was a healthy scratch this past week. Ziggy was in for 19 snaps in his first action for the Seahawks but didn’t register on the stat line versus the Saints. Clowney has looked tremendous at times but has yet to put together the full game of destruction we know he can pull off. It’s been the holdovers for Seattle that have applied the pressure to the quarterback. No one has been better than Jefferson.
Through the first three games, Jefferson is the Seahawks highest-rated defensive lineman according to Pro Football Focus. He’s rated at 76.1 points, with Rasheem Green next at 72.2. The raw stats certainly back that up. Seattle’s fourth-year lineman leads the team with two sacks and five quarterback hits. He’s tied for the team lead in tackles for a loss with two, and has as many combined tackles as any other lineman with nine.
Next. Hawks have to get sacks on Cards. dark
He was my co-MVP for the season opener, collecting both of his sacks versus the Bengals. While he hasn’t recorded a sack in the past two games, he was the only player that got to Teddy Bridgewater, getting two quarterback hits on the Saints QB. I certainly expect Ansah, Collier, and Clowney to step up their game, but Jefferson has been a very pleasant surprise for Seattle.