The Seattle Seahawks, as usual, surprised fans and analysts alike when they selected linebacker Jordyn Brooks in the first round of the 2020 NFL Draft at No. 27 overall.
Linebacker, most felt, was not a glaring position of need for Seattle at the time. However, with veteran K.J. Wright having undergone shoulder surgery this offseason and Mychal Kendricks’ sentencing hearing still looming, adding more depth at the position has started to make more sense.
Now that the dust from the draft has settled, Luke Easterling of USA TODAY’s Draft Wire took a look at every first-round pick this year and compared where each was actually selected relative to his ranking on Easterling’s Top 300 Big Board.
Brooks received a Draft Wire ranking of No. 60, with a difference of -33 compared to his actual draft position of No. 27 overall.
Clearly, the true value of each draft pick won’t be able to be determined until years down the road as Easterling notes, but it’s interesting to see how each team has its own need and value system in place every April.
