It was a rather quiet NFL debut for Seattle Seahawks first round pick L.J. Collier, who appeared in 16 snaps on Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Collier’s name won’t show up on the stat sheet, as he was unable to record a single combined tackle, sack, quarterback hit, or anything else while on the field.
“Yeah, he was rusty,” coach Pete Carroll commented on Monday. “He’s rusty, he’s getting going. It’s good that he got started, and no marks, or no pressures or anything like that. But, good start for him.”
Collier was Seattle’s first round pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of TCU. He was shaping up to be a big part of the defensive line this season, rotating on the inside and the outside in a Michael Bennett-esque role for Carroll and company.
However, a rare ankle injury suffered late in training camp caused Collier to msis the entire preseason and Week 1 of the regular season. So, it’s no surprise that he looked rusty in his first game action since college.
The Seahawks are hoping to get veteran defensive end Ezekiel Ansah back into the fold for Week 3 against the Saints, which could further limit Collier’s reps.
Ansah and Collier will be joined by a surprisingly deep group of defensive ends that includes Jadeveon Clowney, Quinton Jefferson, Branden Jackson and Rasheem Green.
The Seahawks no doubt want to see what Collier can do once he shakes the rust off, but playing time is no longer a given for Seattle’s top pick.
He’ll have to earn it, and in Carroll’s constant culture of competition, that may be tough for a rookie who is still learning the ropes and missed valuable development time in the preseason.
