1st Round - 27th pick Jordyn Brooks LB Texas Tech

[jammerhawk]

As usual immediately post pick there is the usual drumbeat of negativity.

Most here know next to zip about the player, but are quick to judge the player as lacking. They are not professional player scouts but they rely upon non-pro assessments made by folks with draft websites. The team apparently wanted to to trade back but couldn't find their trade partner, to their trade back deal went south just before their pick.

To me at worst this pick is simply a bit confusing as gleaning 'the plan' for this offseason has been difficult. However if you look at the DC critically the draft pick is for a position of need and the team needs to be stronger against the outside zone runs to counter SF.

 

[Jville]

Speaking of which ......................

This morning I'm thinking about what yesterday's selection signals.

Does it signal an anticipation of very little field time this year to develop players and assemble a roster for that first game?

Does it signal a continuation in leading the league in leaning on it's base defense?

Thinking about how picks might signal the agenda and direction for a team for this unprecedented season is far more interesting than fan approval or disapproval. Especially on this once a year draft weekend.

 

[jammerhawk]

I'm wondering if we won't see more 3-4 looks with the number of 5 tech DEs on the roster and the need to defend against SF's running attack? Adding the inside-out, outside-in LB signals a recognition of a need to respond. As well the reality of no Kendricks until late in the year with his ACL injury, and not being re-signed, along with the weakness in defensive tackling on the edge against the run indicates why this position was drafted.

We'll get more info when we see how the team plans on dealing with improving the edge rush. It appears the several assessments of the weakness in the edge rushers available early was a consensus around the league.

Still wondering about RT.

 

[Kinger95]

People need to chill. They liked him so they took him.

The raiders took a guy at 19 that was ranked 66 on DJ’s top prospects list. It’s all subjective. Heck if we trade up for epenesa/gross Matos or get one at 59 then everyone will sing the front offices praises. I think the fact that the titans didn’t take one of them at 29 says alot

 

[Appyhawk]

The pick was a shocker to me but we got him, so I'm hoping for the best, for him and for us. One thing I sure do agree with is our need to improve team speed. Brooks does a little bit on that front. I saw Brook 3 games last year. He did show up strong in a team leadership role.
Today is a new day. Let's see what we get to go with Brooks before we grade our class. Our staff isn't done with their job yet.

 

[bigskydoc]

People are, understandably, comparing him to Wagner. He has a similar speed and instinct for where the play is going. He is, of course, not a BWags clone.

I think a better comparison is a linebacker who was rumored to be linked to the Seahawks this off-season, Matthew Judon, or a different linebacker rumored to draw some Seahawks interest, Clay Matthews.

When you think back to last year, what, defensively, was the most glaring weakness? What were we missing the most? I'm pretty sure that we would all agree that it was getting pressure on the opposing QB. Everything about our defense looked worse because we simply didn't get pressure on the QB.

While the rumor focus has largely been on fixing this through the line Ngakoue/ Clowney/ Griffen, what if the Hawks want to go a different, or additional, direction in addressing this problem?

No, this guy isn't the strongest drop back coverage guy coming out of the draft. No, he isn't the answer for that annoying, middle of the field problem that has plagued Pete Carrol defenses ever since Frank Reich exposed it in 2014.

Brooks lives in the backfield. He is a disruptive player who sheds blocks like a duck sheds water. His TFL stat tells the story there. I can imagine some really interesting packages with him and Irvin in the mix. Who is coming, and who is dropping into coverage?

He needs to get better in space, but that may never be his strength. I see this as addressing the need to get more pressure on the QB, and the more I think about it, the more I like it.

 

[Ad Hawk]

For those who value the pundits, another NFL draft analyst (Chad Reuter) adds this about Brooks:

Seattle Seahawks
Draft pick: Texas Tech LB Jordyn Brooks (No. 27 overall)
Day 1 grade and analysis: B
Seattle made a pick at its original draft slot for the first time since 2012, selecting an excellent football player in Brooks at No. 27 overall. A shoulder injury that required surgery in December might have contributed to him falling off the radar a bit. Brooks' career will be compared with LSU star Patrick Queen's, who the Ravens selected with the very next pick. The Seahawks could have used an offensive tackle like Joshua Jones or a defensive lineman like Ross Blacklock, but I really like Brooks as an explosive, heady defensive leader.

 

[Gio]

According to past Seahawks last 1st we haven't found a gem (Only Earl & Okung). Even Penny. He's a good player but i'd rather get Chubb. But this year i'm going to chill and have no opinion about our draft picks till I see them play !

 

[Elemas]

The fans don't have to be experts with draft analysis. There's plenty of scouting reports out there. There's plenty of resources and one has to use their best judgement in trusting a source. That trust is built over time. Everyone gets it wrong at some point.

In my opinion, JS and PC are slowly eroding that trust. Sure, they are experts. Sure, they know what they like. Sure, they thought they could convert projects like Flowers similarly to what they did for Sherman. Sure, in some instances, it's worked great. But, let's be honest, their recent years first round picks have left many scratching their heads.

If you have multiple reports and a general OVERALL consensus that player A is better, rated higher, etc...than Player B and you select the lower rated player, YOU ARE REACHING. Sometimes it works out....sometimes it doesn't.

If they were absolutely intent on taking a LB here, they should've drafted Queen just like they should've drafted Chubb just like they should've drafted Sweat just like they should've drafted.....

Assuming that they target an Edge within the next two picks, I'm going to laugh (more like cry) when they get cute and think they can nab a solid RB in later rounds.

The only pick that made me scratch my head more than taking Brooks over Queen is GB's. I guess we have that going for us.

 

[hawk45]

People are, understandably, comparing him to Wagner. He has a similar speed and instinct for where the play is going. He is, of course, not a BWags clone.

I think a better comparison is a linebacker who was rumored to be linked to the Seahawks this off-season, Matthew Judon, or a different linebacker rumored to draw some Seahawks interest, Clay Matthews.

When you think back to last year, what, defensively, was the most glaring weakness? What were we missing the most? I'm pretty sure that we would all agree that it was getting pressure on the opposing QB. Everything about our defense looked worse because we simply didn't get pressure on the QB.

While the rumor focus has largely been on fixing this through the line Ngakoue/ Clowney/ Griffen, what if the Hawks want to go a different, or additional, direction in addressing this problem?

No, this guy isn't the strongest drop back coverage guy coming out of the draft. No, he isn't the answer for that annoying, middle of the field problem that has plagued Pete Carrol defenses ever since Frank Reich exposed it in 2014.

Brooks lives in the backfield. He is a disruptive player who sheds blocks like a duck sheds water. His TFL stat tells the story there. I can imagine some really interesting packages with him and Irvin in the mix. Who is coming, and who is dropping into coverage?

He needs to get better in space, but that may never be his strength. I see this as addressing the need to get more pressure on the QB, and the more I think about it, the more I like it.

Except what I read is he works around blocks rather than shedding them, which takes him out of his run fits, doesn’t change direction well, and used his hands poorly during contact. In college you can knife through and get away with a lot of that, but in the NFL it’s a very open question to me if his strengths will even be his strengths. Here’s hoping; certainly technique and coaching are big in learning how to defeat blocks.

Coverage isn’t an area of weakness it’s a black hole for this kid. If he’s out there in third down the first few years it’ll only be with a blitz on, because TEs and RBs would eat him alive, on a team noted for TEs and TBs eating them alive.

I’m not despondent over the pick, but how raw he is shouldn’t be understated.

 

[Northwest Seahawk]

Well they better be right because the consensus was Patrick Queen was a top 5 LB and they passed on him and a few others for Brooks . Now Brooks was on the list of top ten LB's this draft but he was in the bottom half of the top ten available of most scouts. So while I still think we got a really good LB and I do think LB was a serious need I do think they should have taken Queen after taking a closer look at this decision . So for those that say Patrick Queen should have been the pick there if taking a LB at 27 maybe they should have I still think Brooks is a good player though. For what it's worth Patrick Mahomes knows Brooks was at Texas Tech in 2016 he says the Brooks was a steal congratulated the Seahawks on the pick.

 

[Maelstrom787]

The fans don't have to be experts with draft analysis. There's plenty of scouting reports out there. There's plenty of resources and one has to use their best judgement in trusting a source. That trust is built over time. Everyone gets it wrong at some point.

In my opinion, JS and PC are slowly eroding that trust. Sure, they are experts. Sure, they know what they like. Sure, they thought they could convert projects like Flowers similarly to what they did for Sherman. Sure, in some instances, it's worked great. But, let's be honest, their recent years first round picks have left many scratching their heads.

If you have multiple reports and a general OVERALL consensus that player A is better, rated higher, etc...than Player B and you select the lower rated player, YOU ARE REACHING. Sometimes it works out....sometimes it doesn't.

If they were absolutely intent on taking a LB here, they should've drafted Queen just like they should've drafted Chubb just like they should've drafted Sweat just like they should've drafted.....

Assuming that they target an Edge within the next two picks, I'm going to laugh (more like cry) when they get cute and think they can nab a solid RB in later rounds.

The only pick that made me scratch my head more than taking Brooks over Queen is GB's. I guess we have that going for us.

Absolutely hate this crap argument.

Literally an endorsement of drafting purely based on the internets consensus best available at the position.

If you weren't scratching your head at the Raiders pick, that's interesting. He wasn't the consensus best available, so that's an unforgivable reach too. Conversely, you should be fine with Green Bay's selection, Jordan Love was the consensus best quarterback available, so its ok!

Plenty of sources had Brooks rising into this range, CBS had him going 28th. I am confident Brooks was gone at 33 to Cincinnati, which I've been saying, and that's now backed up by info from Trey Wingo and Dave Lapham. Brooks checks more boxes for Seattle than Queen.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

It's next level entertaining when people all the sudden become experts on a pick they don't like. People have already talked about him going early 2nd. In fact, Cincy was likely going to take him. The Ravens had him higher than Queen on their board, and it has been confirmed. But as usual, the typical "we could have had him the 3rd or 4th round" argument rolls in, with zero proof that he would have even lasted a few picks in to the 2nd round. Welcome to dot negative

 

[NJlargent]

For all the optimism I don’t recall one pre-draft post pushing for Brooks to be our first pick. Name never even came up.

 

[bigskydoc]

I wanted to type up my thoughts before reading the rest of the thread. I see others are thinking the same way.

We really didn't have that Pete Carroll signature LEO last year, and I think that is why we were missing the edge pressure.

The Irvin pickup was clearly to address this, but I could definitely see this draft pick also being an answer here. Like Jammerhawk said, more of a 3-4 look, or, as Pete Carroll has called it in the past, a 4-3 defense with 3-4 personnel.

 

[Rat]

Wanted YGM or CEH with that pick. Queen looks like a star if we were going the LB route.

I don’t like this selection, but I hope I’m wrong. God knows it wouldn’t be the first time.

 

[thegameq]

Good vision.
Quickly diagnoses the play.
Solid tackler.
Fast sideline to sideline tackler.

Bobby Wagner padawan?

I didn't see him fight through or shed many blocks--probably because he's quick to diagnose a play.

I'll take him. LB corps showing it's age the past two seasons, so it makes sense from that standpoint. Could also be an indictment against Barton and BBK. I don't know about getting him in later rounds, but Pete and John dance to a different beat than everyone else in the draft so not surprised.

O-line and defense next, with the usual sprinkling of WRs and TEs hopefully.

 

[Maelstrom787]

For all the Patrick Queen stans:

Why should Seattle have taken a 229 lb linebacker who started a grand total of 9 games instead of a 4 year all-conference player who is a far superior run defender and tackler with a similarly explosive athletic profile?

 

[SoulfishHawk]

I'm surprised people don't just literally come out and say "This pick sucks, they didn't pick who I WANTED!"

 

[CPHawk]

Remember when everyone hated the Bruce pick also.