Seahawks Extend LB Darrell Taylor, Fortify Pass Rush Group
Closing in on Wednesday's deadline to tender restricted free agents, the Seattle Seahawks announced via their official website that they have agreed to terms with edge rusher Darrell Taylor on a new contract.
Financial terms and length of the contract have yet to be made public, but the new deal should ensure Taylor will be on Seattle's roster in 2024 and potentially beyond.
Back in the 2020 NFL Draft, Seahawks general manager John Schneider packaged a pair of picks to move up in the second round to select Taylor, who earned All-SEC honors at Tennessee. Unfortunately, his career got off to a horrible start, as he missed his entire rookie season recovering from a broken leg suffered in his final collegiate season in Knoxville.
Darrell Taylor has demonstrated a knack for punching out the football, recording five forced fumbles in three seasons with the Seahawks.
Returning healthy in 2021, Taylor made his debut as a rotational rusher for Seattle and flashed as a pass rusher, recording 6.5 sacks and 13 quarterback hits in 16 games. After a slow start the ensuing season, he finished the second half on a tear with 6.5 sacks in the final six games of the regular season, suggesting he could be on a trajectory towards a breakout 2023 campaign.
Unfortunately, while Taylor did produce 5.5 sacks, his third season with the Seahawks failed to live up to the hype. Losing a starting job for the second straight season, he registered a career-low eight quarterback hits and per PFF, he posted a dismal 6.2 percent win rate as a pass rusher, the second lowest on the team behind only nose tackle Cameron Young.
Throughout his career, Taylor has been limited largely to situational roles because of his persistent struggles against the run. Often caught out of position gap-wise or blown off the ball by blockers, per Pro Football Focus, he has earned poor run grades lower than 47.0 in all three of his NFL seasons, which has frequently kept him on the sideline on early downs and lowered his snap count as a result.
Still just 26 years old with only three years under his belt, new Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and his staff must believe they can bring out the best in the athletic Taylor as a rusher and all-around defender in a new scheme. With him back in the fold for at least next season, the team will have all four of their veteran rushers returning in 2024, including Uchenna Nwosu and Boye Mafe, a solid development for the front line.
