Even without Bobby Wagner PFF ranks Seahawks linebackers among best

The Seahawks may have lost Bobby Wagner this offseason but there is enough talent among the linebacker group to still be ranked in the top ten in the NFL. This is according to Pro Football Focus anyway (subscription required).

PFF also has a good and correct reason for having the Seahawks ranked 8th in the NFL at LB. The site says that Jordyn Brooks is an “ascending star.” They also mention that Cody Barton is an “interesting player.”

But the biggest reason Seattle’s linebacker unit should still be very good is Brooks. He will finally play outside the proverbial shadow of Bobby Wagner. And Brooks was likely better than Wagner in 2021 anyway. Brooks had 10 tackles for loss last year and Wagner had 3. Brooks also led the league in solo tackles with 109 and averaged more per game than Wagner.

Seahawks linebacker group still ranked high even without Bobby Wagner

This isn’t meant to demean Wagner in any way. He is one of the best Seahawks to ever play, was never an issue off the field and should be a first-ballot Hall of Famer. But he is 31 years old at a position where players get old fast. Brooks is just 24 years old.

Plus, Barton deserves a chance to play. In limited time, Barton has looked like he can be a good player. Wagner was injured in Week 17 of 2021 and Barton replaced him and played 98 percent of the snaps against the Lions. Barton played every snap in Week 18 against the Cardinals.

Against Detroit, Barton was in on 7 tackles, had a tackle for loss and a QB hit. Against Arizona, Barton was in on 11 tackles and showed that he could run sideline to sideline with ease. Barton is also better in coverage than Wagner was.

So even though the Seahawks aren’t nationally viewed as going to be very good in 2022 (though the team has enough overall talent to exceed expectations), Seattle still has a lot of talent at linebacker and that could be the key to creating a much better defense this coming year.