Seattle Seahawks training camp: 3 Most important position battles

1. Defensive end

The Seahawks haven’t put together a productive defensive end duo since Cliff Avril and Michael Bennett suited up together for most of the 2016 season. Even last year, Ezekiel Ansah and Jadeveon Clowney didn’t come close to reaching Seattle’s expectations. Both defensive ends turned in the worst performances of their careers since at least 2015.

Seattle hit the reset button at defensive end this offseason. The team watched Ansah, Clowney, and Quinton Jefferson leave in free agency and cut Branden Jackson. That leaves 2019 first-round pick, L.J. Collier and Rasheem Green as the only returning defensive ends from last year. Green led the team with four sacks while Collier only recorded three tackles.

With so many players finding new teams, Seattle got busy in free agency. The team brought back Bruce Irvin. The former first-round pick spent the first four seasons of his career with the Seahawks, and he set a career-high with 8.5 sacks last season. Seattle also reached a deal with Benson Mayowa, who set his career-high with seven sacks in 2019.

Pete Carroll’s team also addressed the defensive end position in the 2020 NFL Draft, selecting Darrell Taylor in the second-round and Alton Robinson in the fifth. Both rookies could battle their way into playing time this season. However, Irvin should win the starting LEO job, leaving his competitors to fight for the second starting spot.