How Draft Experts Graded Seahawks Selection of Jordyn Brooks
Catching nearly everyone off guard, the Seahawks drafted Texas Tech linebacker Jordyn Brooks with the 27th pick in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft.
Like most fans, Brooks was surprised the Seahawks were on the other end of the phone call late in the first round since he hadn't been in contact with them since February.
"When I got the phone call from Seattle like I said, it was pretty surprising because I hadn't talked to them since the combine. But it kind of relayed back to me that the minute that had, it went really well," said Brooks. "I got good vibes from coach Pete Carroll, the G.M., the defensive coordinator Ken Norton, everybody. I kind of thought about that kind of going into the draft. The surprise is a good surprise. I'm just excited to be down there in Seattle."
How did the top media outlets grade Seattle's unexpected selection? Here's a look at four wide-ranging opinions of Brooks going to the Seahawks.
Grade: C+
Pete Prisco: "I like Brooks. The issue is this is a pick for the future for a team that should be picking to win right now. They have other issues like [a] pass rusher. Yetur Gross-Matos was sitting there; I would have taken him."
Grade: D+
Eric Edholm: "Brooks is a litmus test for your evaluation methods. He's a throwback linebacker with great run-stopping ability, but I don't like Brooks in coverage, and that's where NFC West linebackers will get left in the dust if they're not careful."
USA Today's For The Win:
Grade: F
Steven Ruiz:"I'm at a loss. Do the Seahawks not realize what year it is? Did Dave Gettleman hack into their war room? Seattle took a run-stuffing linebacker who struggled in coverage... in 2020. Just what you need in a pass-happy NFL. This is an inexplicable pick with Patrick Queen still on the board."
Grade: B
Andy Benoit: "Perennially underappreciated star veteran K.J. Wright is in the final year of his contract. Though he showed little sign of decline last year, it stands to reason the Seahawks might be willing to move on once his deal expires."
While opinions vary on the selection, Seahawks general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll are excited with Brooks' versatility.
"Real excited obviously with Jordyn [Brooks]. We took the best player on the board. Actually had a trade, to set that up a little bit, to go back. A little bit, I can't tell you where but it fell through at the very last minute and bang, he was still there. So it worked out great. We're really excited to add a real tough, great person," said Schneider.
"Jordyn's the youngest of seven; he's got a twin sister. He's been through a lot, and he's overcome a lot. He's got a ton of grit. He's our kind of guy. He can fly at 233 pounds; he ran a 4.46 [40-yard dash]. Just a great kid. He had a great formal interview at the combine. He's just a real passionate kid."
Carroll can see Brooks in some quarterback spy schemes - defending Cardinals' Kyler Murray comes to mind - and quarterback spy tactics have been used against Russell Wilson in the past. As we know, the NFL is a copycat league, and if something works, then other teams catch on.
"We just found a guy that could check all of the boxes. We love his attitude, like John said, it's just his mentality. He's just really on it. His versatility, like John, said, his first couple of years he played outside and in space. This past year, they changed schemes, and he was really in a position where he was a lot of the time responsible for the quarterback and would chase the quarterback and spy him," said Carroll.
"He was up in the line of scrimmage and pressuring so we've seen him do a variety of things that give him the scope of ability to play inside or outside for us. We've got good players inside that we love. We've got Bobby and K.J., and we love what they've done. We'll give this guy a chance to see where he can fit in."
