The Seattle Seahawks selected Texas Tech linebacker Jordyn Brooks with the No. 27 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, and that move came as a bit of a surprise to some. General manager John Schneider joined 710 ESPN Seattle and explained the process of drafting Brooks.
“We had a pretty strong feeling that the three linebackers might be of the group (of) the position that may fall and the receivers all started flying off, which we all thought may happen as it was a very strong receiver class at the top,” Schneider said.
The linebackers Schneider mentioned were Kenneth Murray, Patrick Queen, and Brooks. He said he perceived the latter to be the best fit for the Seahawks defense, and his colleagues seemed to agree.
“It was a decision of if one of those linebackers is still there, we’re not going to back out and with Jordyn, everybody had so much conviction,” Schneider said. “There were three linebackers there and all three are incredible players. Jordyn was the guy that fit us best and we had the most buy-in from everybody, so we were extremely excited to get him.”
Schneider was also impressed by Brooks’ speed and resilience, as evidenced by his 40-yard dash time and his preparation for the draft in spite of a lingering injury.
“He ran 4.46 at the combine after working out for like a week (due to a shoulder injury) to get ready for it, so we were really excited about him,” Schneider said.
Time will tell if Brooks will pan out, but it looks like the Seahawks have a very promising prospect on their hands, especially considering the news starting linebacker K.J. Wright is currently battling from offseason shoulder surgery.
