Seattle Seahawks: 2020 rookies will re-shape pass rush

Seattle Seahawks 2020 rookies will help re-shape their pass rush.

The Seattle Seahawks‘ pass rush is going to look a lot different in 2020 than it did in 2019.

While some are still holding out hope that Jadeveon Clowney will be back and build off of what he started in Seattle last season, that doesn’t seem like a guarantee by any means at this point.

With Clowney holding out for the contract he wants, the Seahawks have put contingencies in place. Specifically, they went out and added to their pass rush through the 2020 NFL Draft.

After making Texas Tech linebacker Jordyn Brooks their top pick in 2020, the Seahawks selected Tennessee’s Darrell Taylor in the second round before doubling down on pass rushers with Syracuse defensive end Alton Robinson in the fifth.

After taking TCU’s LJ Collier in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, the Seahawks have clearly been setting the foundation for a young core of edge rushers to hopefully emerge in 2020, and they’re going to likely be called upon sooner rather than later.

Seahawks 2019 edge rusher snap counts

• 1. Jadeveon Clowney, 605 snaps
• 2. Rasheem Green, 546 snaps
• 3. Branden Jackson, 418 snaps
• 4. Ezekiel Ansah, 338 snaps
• 5. LJ Collier, 152 snaps

Rasheem Green led the team last season with four sacks, but only two players on the Seahawks had double-digit quarterback hits.

As a matter of fact, Jadeveon Clowney and Quinton Jefferson — who are both gone — combined for just 23 QB hits in 2019, which is only two more than JJ Watt who only played in eight games.

This pass rush unit needed a jolt, and the Seahawks are hopefully getting it, but they are going to be relying on young players to get the job done.

That’s nothing new for Pete Carroll.

So what do these young pass rushers bring to the table?

Darrell Taylor (2nd round)

Taylor is a very underrated playmaker off the edge with the ability to be the perfect LEO in Seattle’s defense.

Not only does Taylor have a full arsenal of skills off the edge, but he also has experience and the ability to drop into coverage when asked to do so.

While someone like LJ Collier is more of the typical weakside, base defensive end with his wide frame and power at the point of attack, Taylor is more of the hybrid defensive end/linebacker but he’s in a power defensive end’s body.

Over the last two seasons, Taylor has racked up 21 tackles for loss and 16.5 sacks. He knows how to get to the quarterback and he can do it a variety of ways. He can blow by offensive tackles with speed, he can stunt inside, he has good counter moves, and he packs a heavy punch.

Taylor’s versatility at Tennessee was undoubtedly one of the traits the Seahawks loved the most.

Alton Robinson (5th round)

Robinson is a really interesting study as a pass rusher.

He doesn’t have the consistent ability to set the edge at this point that you would like to see, but there are moments when he jumps off the tape with his speed and explosiveness.

Robinson’s ability to time the snap and make an impact on passing downs is undeniable, but what is most impressive is the authority with which he takes down quarterbacks when he gets his hands on them.

This guy has bad intentions when he’s closing in on the quarterback, and with his length, he’s a threat to pop the ball loose when he does get into the backfield.

The Seahawks are banking more on the upside of Robinson, whose production spiked in 2018, compared with Taylor whose all-around game is more consistent, but both of these guys can help the team right away.

Taylor has the look of an immediate starter while Robinson should be able to rotate in on passing downs, but the Seahawks had to go out and find guys who could make an impact on their pass rush, and they did just that.

Heck, even Jordyn Brooks had 6.5 career sacks as an off-ball linebacker at Texas Tech.

Even without star power off the edge, the Seahawks could be substantially better in this area in 2020. They have to be.