Seattle Seahawks: What will their pass rush look like in 2018?

After an offseason where older members of the defense were shipped off, the Seattle Seahawks pass rush will look for younger players to step up in 2018.

Two major defensive ends left the Seattle Seahawks this offseason. Pro Bowlers Cliff Avril and, more importantly, Michael Bennett both left the team. Bennett finished second on the team in sacks this year while Avril missed most of the season because of injuries. He had just one sack, but he led the team in sacks the previous season with 11.5.

The departure of the two defensive ends didn’t come as a surprise. Both were aging stars at 32 years old and have their down sides. Avril is coming off of a season lost to injury and Bennett was one of the loudest voices in the Seahawks locker room that was looking to quiet down a little. But with both of these productive sack artists leaving, who will step in too fill their places?

The most obvious answer is three year veteran Frank Clark. Clark was drafted in the second round of the 2015 draft by the Seahawks possibly for this exact situation. He’ll be turning 25 in a few days, putting him in the prime of his career. He’s also shown the ability to produce high sacks numbers over the last two seasons.

In 2016, he recorded 10 sacks and then he added nine more in 2017. But Clark can only do so much by himself, he needs other players around him to achieve the best results for the team.

One of the players who could really step up in a big way for the Seahawks is resurgent defensive end Dion Jordan. But he’s out six to eight weeks right now following a knee surgery. At least he’ll be available for the season. Jordan finished third on the team in sacks last year, behind Clark and Bennett. Outside of Jordan though, it doesn’t seem like Clark will be receiving a lot of help.

Veteran defensive end Dwight Freeney contributed three sacks last season before the Seahawks surprisingly cut him. Those three sacks were the forth most on the team. Freeney has since retired. Sheldon Richardson, who only recorded one sack with the Seahawks last season, has also left the team. Marcus Smith, a former first round selection by the Philadelphia Eagles, had 2.5 last year and is still on the roster. Honestly though, 2.5 isn’t enough. The Seahawks need more.

Defensive tackles Jarran Reed and Nazair Jones may be looked toward for more interior pressure in 2018. Reed will be entering his third season and second as a starter while Jones will be entering his sophomore season. The two combined for 3.5 sacks last season.

Bobby Wagner can also pitch in more when it comes to rushing the quarterback. It’s not like he doesn’t have the skills. After all, he had five sacks in 2013 and four and a half in 2016. He had just 1.5 in 2017, the second lowest sack total of his career. K.J. Wright also had a poor season statistically when it comes to sacks. 2017 was his first season not recording a single sack. He had a career high four in 2016 when he made his only career Pro Bowl appearance.

The Seahawks last hope for a consistent second pass rusher, maybe outside of Jordan, is rookie third round pick, Rasheem Green. Green is a defensive end from USC and will likely start for the Seahawks this year, or split time with Jordan. He recorded 10 sacks his final year in college, in addition to 12.5 tackles for loss from the defensive tackle position. He has potential, and will need to develop it quickly to help the Seahawks pass rush stay afloat.

Next: NFL 2018: One likely veteran cut from all 32 teams

2018 looks like it will be a rough year for the Seahawks, not just their defensive line. At the very least it will serve as a learning experience for players like Green so they can grow into major contributors for the team. With any luck, he’ll turn into a player just like Clark and become the second half of a new terrifying pass rushing duo in Seattle.