Jamal Adams really is worth two first round choices

Jamal Adams showed in week one just how good and transformative he can be for the Seahawks defense.

First of all, I will admit I am getting way ahead of myself. One great game by safety Jamal Adams does not truly mean the Seahawks did not give up too much is trading for the player this offseason? Or doesn’t it?

Adams did a bit of everything defensively for the Seahawks in the victory over the Atlanta Falcons in week one. He had a sack, led the team in tackles with 12, had two more quarterback hits and had two tackles-for-loss. But Adams was much more than just statistics.

Jamal Adams brings a kind of energy to the defense that Seattle hasn’t really had since Kam Chancellor and Richard Sherman were playing in the secondary for Seattle. Bobby Wagner is a future Hall of Famer at linebacker and is the leader of the defense but he is not the kind of guy that gets other players riled up. Adams does.

More than even Wagner, Jamal Adams gives Seahawks defensive coordinator Ken Norton, Jr. the ability to be more creative. Adams, for instance, sacked Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan on a blitz. Adams also was able to help stack the box on runs after Atlanta had started the game running well.

Maybe Adams won’t have more games where he is clearly the best player on the defensive side of the ball but likely he will. Adams is 25 years old and has already made one First-Team All-Pro team. So yes, Jamal Adams will be worth the two first round picks Seattle gave the Jets in return for Adams.

Jamal Adams needs to be with Seahawks for years

For one, Seattle stinks at making first round selections for some reason. Jordyn Brooks might be different, but L.J. Collier and Rashaad Penny – two recent Seahawks picks – still need to consistently show they can be good.

And back to the fact that Adams is just 25. Seattle is going to have to pay him a lot of money to be a Seahawk for many years to come. Adams is an unrestricted free agent after 2021 and could earn more than $20 million a season. He is that good.

In fact, Adams makes every aspect of the defense better: pass rush, pass coverage, run defense. He is a freakish athlete.

But he is also capable of being the Seahawks defensive leader for several years to come too. Adams made an immediate impression on the quality of Seattle’s defense in week one. He will likely be able to do that for years. Surely, that is worth two first round choices that are and will remain unknown qualities for Seattle.