Seattle Seahawks: 5 Best players under 25 on the roster
By Samuel Teets
4. Jordyn Brooks, LB
Seattle made another surprising pick in the first round when they selected Brooks out of Texas Tech with the 27th overall pick. At this point, I’m automatically skeptical of John Schneider‘s first-round selections. The franchise hasn’t hit on a first-round pick since 2010, which means Brooks is already fighting an uphill battle.
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Brooks is excellent at reading gaps as the open and meeting runners near the line of scrimmage. His athleticism and sideline-to-sideline fluidity also play roles in his dominance against the run. Unfortunately, he’s not a well-developed coverage linebacker and can get bullied by larger blockers.
The 22-year-old rookie has a lot to prove this season.
3. Cody Barton, LB
The Seahawks already knew who their three starting linebackers were heading into the 2019 season, but the team began planning for its future by drafting Cody Barton in the third round. The Utah product filled that stat sheet in his senior season, accumulating 117 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, and four sacks.
Barton had a remarkable training camp last year, which put him on head coach Pete Carroll’s radar heading into the season. Through the first 11 weeks, Barton saw minimal playing time on defense and instead made an impact on special teams. However, he began to play a larger role on the defense in Week 12, appearing on 20 percent of Seattle’s defensive plays.
Unfortunately, Barton’s break came at the cost of Mychal Kendricks’ season. The veteran linebacker tore his ACL and missed Seattle’s playoff run, which pushed Barton into the starting role. He played reasonably well in the team’s two playoff games, but there’s still a lot Barton needs to work on.
The 23-year-old is competing with Brooks and K.J. Wright for starting time this year.