Getty The Seahawks traded up to snag defensive end Darrell Taylor.
The Seattle Seahawks will be without a few players at the start of the season including rookie pass rusher Darrell Taylor. The former Tennessee defensive end along with the following players will miss at least the first six weeks of the season, per The News Tribune’s Gregg Bell: running back Rashaad Penny, tight end Colby Parkinson and cornerback D.J. Reed.
None of these are a major surprise but being placed on the NFLI or PUP list means they are required to miss at least the first six weeks of the season. The Seahawks traded up in the second round to snag Taylor and admitted to considering taking the pass rusher with their first-round pick before selecting Jordyn Brooks.
Taylor is continuing to recover from offseason leg surgery but there was no indication that the pass rusher would miss time when the team selected him in the draft. The Seahawks have had unfortunate luck in recent years with the health of high draft picks missing significant time with injuries.
The good news is the Seahawks completed training camp with very few serious injuries. Prior to the move being made official, Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll indicated the team would be “patient” in bringing Taylor back to the field.
“We want to be patient with this because we want to get him back fully,” Caroll noted, per USA Today. “NFI at the start of the year? That’s a real possibility. He’s not ready to go yet, so we’ll see how it goes.”
Rookie Defensive End Alton Robinson Is Expected to Be a Key Contributor
On the bright side, rookie defensive end Alton Robinson has flashed during training camp. The former Syracuse pass rusher is expected to contribute much more than a typical fifth-round pick.
“We haven’t seen him play in a game yet, so we don’t know,” Carroll explained, per Sports Illustrated. “But he’s made a really good impression. And so, probably, we are more excited than we thought we could at this time, this early in camp.”
The Seahawks appear to be surprisingly confident about their pass rush heading into the season despite being unable to re-sign Jadeveon Clowney. The team’s confidence in their defensive line will immediately be put to the test with their new additions. The unit underperformed in 2019 even with Clowney on the line.
Branden Jackson Is Likely to Miss the Entire Season
Seahawks pass rusher Branden Jackson is expected to miss the entire season after sustaining a serious blow during Seattle’s first training camp scrimmage. Jackson was knocked unconscious during the mock game and rushed to the hospital. Bell reported that not only is Jackson’s season over but his career remains in doubt. Carroll compared Jackson’s spinal condition to something similar to what prompted both Kam Chancellor and Cliff Avril to retire.
“He’s not injured right now. But he’s susceptible,” Carroll told The News Tribune. “It’s similar to situations a couple other of our guys have had in the past, and we are erring on the side of long-term health and taking care of our guys. He’s just got a condition that makes it, possibly, dangerous for him over the long haul.”
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