Top 5 Seahawks rookies to watch this offseason
Jordyn Brooks – Linebacker
A lot of fans were surprised when Seattle chose linebacker Jordyn Brooks with their first-round selection. There were plenty of options still on the board that seemed more viable at the time.
After the draft ended and the dust settled, scouts began vocalizing their love for Brooks and the talent he has. Some ESPN sources reported other teams having an interest in Brooks in round 1, including the Baltimore Ravens, who selected linebacker Patrick Queen one pick after Seattle.
As a senior at Texas Tech, Brooks had 108 tackles and 20 tackles for loss. Standing at 6-foot-0-inches and weighing 240 pounds, he ran a 4.54 at the NFL combine, where he impressed the Seahawks scouting department.
After Brooks was drafted, Pete Carroll referred to him as “a guy who could check all of the boxes” in a statement released by Seahawks.com.
Right now the question is where Brooks fits into Seattle’s defense. In his final year at Texas Tech, Brooks played primarily at middle linebacker, which is a position fulfilled by Bobby Wagner in Seattle. K.J. Wright has responsibilities as the WILL linebacker and new addition Bruce Irvin will likely play as the SAM linebacker.
Seattle also drafted linebackers Cody Barton (University of Utah) and Ben Burr-Kirven (University of Washington) in the 2019 NFL Draft and UCF alum Shaquem Griffin the year before that, so the linebacker room is looking a little packed right now.
Needless to say, Brooks is an exciting addition to Seattle’s defense. How he performs this offseason will be key to see exactly where the Seahawks will slot him in.
Linebacker roster*:
- Cody Barton
- Jordyn Brooks
- Ben Burr-Kirven
- Emmanuel Ellerbee
- Shaquem Griffin
- Bruce Irvin
- Sutton Smith
- Bobby Wagner
- K.J. Wright
*As of 6/11/20