Grading every Seattle Seahawks first-round draft pick since 2010
By Jake Luppino
Seattle Seahawks 2018 Round 1, Pick 27 - HB Rashaad Penny
On the surface, this pick made a bunch of sense. The Seattle Seahawks had a difficult time replacing Marshawn Lynch. It's also been frustrating to hear this pick be categorized as a bust. I understand the frustration from fans, but it wasn't that Rashaad Penny was a bust. He just simply couldn't stay healthy. When healthy, he was a great complement to Chris Carson.
In fact, when watching Penny at full strength, you would say to yourself, wow that guy is a first-round talent. As a running back, he had a mixture of everything. He was elusive enough to make someone miss. He was agile enough to find the holes in between tackles. He was powerful enough to lower his shoulder and do what it took to gain that additional yard. Most importantly, he had the home run-hitting speed that resulted in a lot of touchdowns. Unfortunately, his injuries continually held him back.
Grade: C
Seattle Seahawks 2019 Round 1, Pick 29 - DE L.J. Collier
At this point in time, many were beginning to question the power Pete Carroll had in the decision-making process. Although Penny had the talent, he never had the consistency in play to prove his coach right for selecting him. The Ifedi blunder combined with the poor play of L.J. Collier seemed to be the beginning of the end in the Pete Carroll, Russell Wilson era.
Wilson's frustration stemmed from the fact he wasn't being given adequate protection. This, in part, is due to the distribution of picks in the drafts. The idea of L.J. Collier made sense for this team. They were struggling in generating pressure defensively and Pete Carroll loved the idea of building a team within the trenches. The superpowers of Russell Wilson masked the poor offensive line play, so Seattle turned to the defensive line in the draft. Just like the previous two first-round picks, it didn't work out.
Grade: D
Seattle Seahawks 2020 Round 1, Pick 27 - LB Jordyn Brooks
I never quite understood the bust label on Jordyn Brooks. Certainly, he dealt with injuries early on in his career. But, a violent game like football is going to result in injury, especially at the linebacker position. Unlike the previous three first-round draft picks, Jordyn Brooks was able to etch his imprint on this team. Year after year, he improved.
Whether it was in the run game or getting better in coverage, Brooks was elevating his game next to Bobby Wagner. Unfortunately, he signed a contract with the Miami Dolphins this off-season. It wasn't that the Seahawks didn't want to re-sign him. The Dolphins offered a contract that Seattle could not match due to their cap issues at that selective time. Nonetheless, I believe that Brooks lived up to the production of a first-round pick with the Seahawks.