Seahawks 2021 draft target: Linebacker Chazz Surratt

Walter Football thinks the Seahawks draft linebacker Chazz Surratt in the second round of the 2021 NFL draft. This might seem odd but Surratt is an athletic freak. I say this might be odd because Seattle seems to have some young depth at linebacker while also still having future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner on the roster. But Surratt still would be a very good choice.

I should also say for the record that I write for FanSided’s Keeping It Heel but I am not writing about Surratt in this article because I am a Carolina homer. Surratt is going to be a very good NFL player for a team that gets the most out of his talent.

A converted quarterback, Surratt transitioned to linebacker at North Carolina and became a Sporting News first-team All-American in 2020. In essence, he became the quarterback of a defense that improved as the season went on. Surratt had 6 sacks and 7.5 tackles for loss and did all that from his linebacker position and not as a defensive end.

What Chazz Surratt could bring to the Seahawks

He is 6’3″ but a bit small to be a defensive end at just 230. But he has the capacity to gain pounds and end up as an edge rusher. The question is, Why would anyone want him to? Surratt is part of a family that also has brother Sage and both players are candidates to be drafted in this year’s draft. Both are athletic but Sage is a receiver who might get taken in day three while Chazz is a linebacker who should get picked on day two.

Bobby Wagner might be a player the Seahawks thinking of re-working or releasing after 2021. He is very expensive. K.J. Wright has yet to be re-signed meaning Jordyn Brooks could replace Wright this coming season. But Brooks is more of a Wagner-type player. Surratt is more in the mold of Wright.

Assuming Seattle needs to part ways with Wagner, Brooks could move over to Wagner’s spot and Surratt could replace either Wright or the vacated Brooks position. 2022 could feature Brooks and Surratt as linebackers. That would mean a lot of physical ability and linebackers that cover a lot of ground for several years for Seattle.

Surratt’s weaknesses would be he is still really learning how to be a linebacker. He was mostly a quarterback for a lot of his young playing time. Surratt is also a bit of a tweener as his skills would be great for an edge rusher but he is too small to play that role. But if coached well in the NFL, Surratt could be a star who pressures quarterbacks consistently while also making solid tackles in the run game.