“With the 27th pick in the 2020 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks select Jordyn Brooks, linebacker, Texas Tech.” With that selection, the Seahawks drafted a linebacker for the future, Jordyn Brooks. The team passed up on some talented players between pick 27 and their next pick at 48, including wide receiver Tee Higgins, wide receiver Michael Pittman Jr., running back and potential MVP for the 2021 season Jonathan Taylor, and defensive back Antoine Winfield Jr. With the 48th pick of the 2020 NFL draft, the Seahawks selected Darrell Taylor, yet again going with a player at the linebacker position.
The Seahawks already have one of if not the best linebackers in the NFL in Bobby Wagner. He set the franchise record for Seattle on December 26th with 170 tackles. Wagner broke his own previous record of 167 tackles for a single campaign.
This record was shattered by second-year linebacker Brooks in the final game of the 2021 season by recording a total of 183 tackles, according to ESPN.
Wagner seems to be aging like a fine wine since he still had the once record-breaking 170 tackles, however, a decline could be on the horizon. He’ll be 33 when he enters unrestricted free agency and may still command a significant contract. This may prompt the Seahawks to move on from the linebacker and signal a possible restart, especially because they know that they’ve already found the heir to his throne.
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The New Defensive King in Seattle
Brooks is a second-year player who is still learning the ins and outs of the league. He entered an established organization with a defensive identity and pressure to become the next “Legion of Boom”.
This hasn’t stopped Brooks from being humble about the Seahawks’ 2021 season and his season as an individual player.
“It was important for me to get my best foot forward and then the guys around to go ahead and finish this thing the right way,” Brooks said in the postgame press conference on January 9th. “It was a rough season, ups and downs, but looking towards the future, this is good momentum going into the off-season.”
Brooks finished the contest against the Arizona Cardinals with a career-high of 20 tackles, which ties Wagner’s record for tackles in a game.
Even when taking down Wagner’s newly set franchise record, Brooks made sure to not only credit Wagner but also the defensive line.
“It’s a little bittersweet, I know if Bobby was still playing he’ll still hold it and so I feel like it wasn’t a fair shot, but I thank God anyways. We’re accomplishing that but credit goes to the D-line and all the guys around.”
Brooks Looks Forward to the Future
It’s hard to believe that someone is as poised and ready to learn as Brooks in just their second professional season.
“I thought it was a good season of growth. It was a lot of learning [and] courage that I had to learn this year. I thought I grew just as the season went on and so that’s what I want to continue to do in the off-season and just try to take the next step.”
Brooks was asked which part of his game he wants to improve the most on and he had the best answer you could ask for from your first-round draft pick.
“Everything man, from the run game, from the pass game, to getting picks, getting sacks, all those things man. I just want to improve my overall game.”
Already being a franchise record holder in what he does best in his second year bodes well for the linebacker out of Texas Tech. The future is bright for Brooks and the Seahawks’ defense.
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Bobby Wagner’s Heir to the Throne Is Already on the Team