The Seahawks defense is going to be good in 2021 and here is why
By Andy Excell
Seahawks linebackers
Again depending on whether teams use a 4-3 or 3-4 defense by choice we are not comparing like for like here. The best solution I could come up with was to take the best four linebackers/defensive ends on each roster to form a conclusion.
The four I included for the Seahawks were Bobby Wagner, Ben Burr-Kirven, Jordyn Brooks and Shaquem Griffin. With the exception of defensive skipper Wagner this is a young group, the other three having an average age of just over 24 come the start of the 2021 season.
Brooks was the Seahawks first round pick in last year’s draft and is the successor to K.J.Wright at LB. After an understandably slow start to his rookie season, he just got better and better and I fully expect him to take a huge leap forward in 2021.
Both Burr-Kirven and Griffin were fifth round picks and look like great value as such. Burr-Kirven looks like the more likely starter of the two at this stage, but the lesser-known of the Griffin twins could well blossom now that he is out of his twin brother’s shadow.
This may be a big shout by me, but I have this Seahawks LB corps at the third-best in the NFL in 2021. Bobby Wagner is one of the elite LB’s in the league and I predict all three youngsters will thrive and blossom into really good linebackers in 2021 under his tutelage.
My top ten at LB are:
- Tampa Bay
- Pittsburgh
- Seattle
- Denver
- Baltimore
- Dallas
- Chicago
- San Francisco
- Cleveland
- Green Bay
For the record, the Rams rank 13th and the Cardinals are at 21st in my list.