Getty The Seattle Seahawks could be without one of their young pass rushers for the foreseeable future.
The Seattle Seahawks came into this season with some talented young pass rushers. Unfortunately, at least one of those young outside linebackers could be missing a significant amount of time this year.
Heading into their season opener against the Denver Broncos on Monday Night Football, the Seahawks released their initial injury report with third-year pass rusher Alton Robinson listed as out with a knee injury.
Speaking with reporters on Saturday, head coach Pete Carroll revealed that Robinson could be out even longer, and that the injury could potentially be a long-term issue according to Michael-Shawn Dugar with The Athletic. Carroll also added that Robinson could need surgery on his knee, according to Bob Condotta with The Seattle Times.
The Seahawks will also be without starting long snapper Tyler Ott on Monday and likely without cornerback Artie Burns, who was listed as doubtful. Rookie running back Kenneth Walker III and starting guard Damien Lewis were both listed as questionable. The Broncos have no one listed as out for the game, but inside linebacker Josey Jewell was listed as doubtful.
Alton Robinson Has Looked Like a Draft Steal
Although he hasn’t put up the most eye-opening stats, Alton Robinson has become one of the bigger draft steals for the Seahawks over the last few seasons thanks to his contributions on defense.
Coming out of Judson High School in Texas, Robinson was only a 3-star recruit, but had initially committed to play for the Texas A&M Aggies. Robinson ended up playing his freshman year at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M instead, but tore it up as a true freshman with 14 sacks and 67 total tackles.
Robinson ended up transferring to Syracuse for his sophomore season, where he finished his college career. In three seasons with the Orange, Robinson earned two All-ACC selections with 115 career tackles, 32.5 tackles for loss, 19.5 sacks, and five forced fumbles.
After a productive college career, the 6’3″, 259-pound pass rusher was selected by the Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2020 NFL Draft. While only a Day 3 pick, he has had a solid first two seasons for Seattle, playing in 30 games (starting in three) with 44 total tackles, five sacks, 10 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles.
Seahawks fans were hopeful that Robinson could take a big step forward in his third season, but based on Carroll’s comments, it looks like he could be missing significant time to start the year.
Who Else Will Rush the Passer in 2022?
Even with Robinson unable to play in Week 1, the Seahawks still have some intriguing names on the edge at outside linebacker who can get after their former quarterback in Russell Wilson.
Fellow 2020 draft pick Darrell Taylor will be looking to take a huge step forward this season. A second-round pick, Taylor missed his entire rookie season before taking the field in 2021, playing in 16 games with 6.5 sacks. If he can continue to develop, Taylor could give offensive linemen problems this season.
The Seahawks also brought in a talented 25-year-old pass rusher in Uchenna Nwosu this offseason via free agency. The former Los Angeles Chargers pass rusher has developed into a formidable matchup in his first four seasons, racking up 132 total tackles and 15 sacks.
Arguably the most exiting name on the depth chart at OLB is rookie pass rusher Boye Mafe. The second-round pick was a bit of a late bloomer in college at Minnesota, but showcased serious athleticism and burst off the edge by the end of his college career.
Robinson’s absence will hurt, but the Seahawks still have a handful of young and talented pass rushers who will be trying to prove themselves this year.