Seahawks Free Agent Targets at EDGE: 6 Names to Watch
Though the Seattle Seahawks surprised everyone by making the playoffs last season after jettisoning Russell Wilson and Bobby Wagner, they endured their fair share of struggles on the defensive side of the ball in 2022.
Along with getting steamrolled on the ground allowing at least 140 rushing yards 11 times in 17 regular season games, Seattle also struggled to find consistency rushing the passer. Despite tying for the seventh-most sacks in the NFL, Pro Football Focus ranked the team a dismal 27th in pass rush grade, while ESPN was equally critical with a 28th ranked Pass Rush Win Rate at just 34 percent.
Looking at the Seahawks prevalent issues defending both the pass and the run last season, while free agent signee Uchenna Nwosu proved to be a steal harassing quarterbacks and racking up tackles in the backfield in bulk, the rest of their edge/outside linebacker group deserves a share of the blame for these struggles.
Expected to be a breakout candidate in his third season, Darrell Taylor lost his starting job early in the year due to continued struggles setting the edge against the run, eventually being replaced by an aging Bruce Irvin midway through the season. While he was far better against the run than Taylor, rookie Boye Mafe didn't provide much punch rushing the passer, generating only 10 pressures in 17 games. Meanwhile, Alton Robinson and rookie Tyreke Smith didn't play a single down due to injury.
While Nwosu and Taylor both narrowly missed double digit sacks, the Seahawks could still use reinforcements off the edge, particularly in the run game. Here's a list of six veterans who would be great scheme fits at different price ranges estimated by Spotrac.
DeMarcus Walker, Tennessee Titans
Projected Market Value: $3.2 million/year
2022 Stats: 32 tackles, 7.0 sacks, 16 quarterback hits
Despite starting only six games for the Titans in 2022, Walker enjoyed a breakout season on multiple fronts, setting career-highs for sacks and tackles for loss while only playing 37 percent of defensive snaps. Producing at least 30 pressures for a second straight season while lining up all over the defensive line, including as a standup defender off tackle at 280 pounds, he posted a respectable 11.6 percent pressure rate and caused significant issues for opposing offenses. Still just 28 years old, after battling injuries early in his career, the former second round pick out of Florida State would immediately boost Seattle's run defense off the edge while providing another capable rusher from multiple alignments.
Samson Ebukam, San Francisco 49ers
Projected Market Value: $7.7 million/year
2022 Stats: 36 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 13 quarterback hits
Since jumping to the NFL from FCS school Eastern Washington, Ebukam has been a productive rusher off the edge in each of his six seasons with the 49ers and Rams, averaging 4.0 sacks and nearly nine quarterback hits per season. An overlooked contributor on the league's top scoring defense a year ago, he set new career-bests in sacks and tackles for loss while starting 15 games as a defensive end. On the smaller side at 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, his size and playing style may be a bit redundant for a Seahawks defense that will have Uchenna Nwosu and Darrell Taylor back next season. However, he's been a steady run defender throughout his career and at the right price would be a solid addition to the edge group returning to the Pacific Northwest.
Anthony Nelson, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Projected Market Value: N/A
2022 Stats: 46 tackles, 5.5 sacks, three forced fumbles
After barely seeing the field in his first two NFL seasons, Nelson surfaced as a viable rotational edge defender for the Buccaneers in the final two years of his rookie contract. Built like a defensive end at 6-foot-7, 271 pounds, he sets a firm anchor off the edge in the run game, as Pro Football Focus graded him at least a 72.7 grade in three of his four seasons in Tampa. While he's not a natural in coverage, he started to find his groove as a pass rusher with 10.5 sacks in 2021 and 2022 and showed a knack for punching the ball out of quarterback's hands with three strip sacks last season. Set to turn 26 next month, he still has plenty of untapped potential and would provide the Seahawks with a different skill set at outside linebacker.
Ogbonnia Okoronkwo, Houston Texans
Projected Market Value: N/A
2022 Stats: 44 tackles, 5.5 sacks, nine tackles for loss
© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
One of the few positive surprises for a bad three-win Texans squad in 2022, Okoronkwo made the most of a career-high 518 defensive snaps, proving to be a disruptive pass rushing force. Playing the majority of his snaps as a standup outside linebacker off tackle, he posted a 13.4 percent pressure rate while generating 36 quarterback pressures, a career-high 5.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. He finished the season graded out as PFF's 13th best pass rushing defensive end/linebacker (81.9), scoring ahead of Von Miller, Nwosu, and Brian Burns and ranked 11th out of 83 players in pass rush win percentage. With extensive experience in a 3-4 defense, he would be a fun rotational weapon to team up with Nwosu and Taylor in Seattle.
Lorenzo Carter, Atlanta Falcons
Projected Market Value: N/A
2022 Stats: 58 tackles, 4.0 sacks, one interception
Arguably the most versatile defender on this list, the 255-pound Carter has played in both 4-3 and 3-4 defenses with varying degrees of success rushing quarterbacks and dropping back into coverage. Along with generating 33 pressures as a rusher for the Falcons last season, he also logged more than 120 coverage snaps, returning an interception for a touchdown. He also finished with a 67.7 run defense grade from PFF, which ranked 21st out of 49 qualified edge defenders, while missing only four tackles in 17 starts. He has never been a dynamic pass rushing presence, but his coverage ability and run defense would make him a quality target for the Seahawks to pursue as either a starter or key reserve.
Justin Hollins, Green Bay Packers
Projected Market Value: N/A
2022 Stats: 26 tackles, 1.0 sacks, one forced fumble
Bouncing around since being drafted by the Broncos in the fifth round out of Oregon in 2019, Hollins spent time with both the Rams and Packers last season. But the Seahawks tried to acquire him after the Rams released him, putting in a waiver claim, indicating obvious interest in the athletic outside linebacker. Though he's never been a starter in the league, he played fairly well in a limited audition in Green Bay's 3-4 scheme last year, generating a healthy 10.8 percent pressure rate and 2.5 sacks on only 89 pass rushing reps. From a depth perspective, he could be a buy low candidate on a veteran minimum deal with enough remaining upside to compete for snaps behind Nwosu, Taylor, and Boye Mafe in Seattle.
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