Seattle Seahawks: Predicting stats for 2019 rookies

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SALT LAKE CITY, UT – SEPTEMBER 15: Cody Barton #30 of the Utah Utes pressures quarterback Jake Browning #3 of the Washington Huskies in a game at Rice-Eccles Stadium on September 15, 2018 in Salt Lake City, Utah. (Photo by Gene Sweeney Jr/Getty Images) /

Cody Barton (No. 88)

All of the players taken in Rounds 3-4 could see starting action in 2019 if injuries remove a veteran from the lineup. In the case of Cody Barton, starting middle linebacker Bobby Wagner missed one game last season.

However, Wagner was banged up early on in the season. While the Seahawks would love to see Wagner on the field all 16 weeks in 2019 and lock him up on a new contract, the team should be prepared for the worst. If that situation does arise, Barton is a solid backup with plenty of college experience.

In his senior season at Utah, Barton recorded 117 combined tackles, four sacks, a forced fumble, six passes defensed and an interception. While those numbers won’t translate directly to the NFL, they show Barton is capable of tracking ball carriers.

I think Barton has a lot of upside but he will have to battle with veterans for the backup middle linebacker spot. While Austin Calitro is listed as an outside linebacker, he can move inside and he actually made five starts last season when the Seahawks linebacking corps was in flux.

For this reason, I think Barton is a player who has more long-term value for Seattle and won’t be expected to see a lot of defensive snaps as a rookie.

Projected 2019 stats: 40 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks

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