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Seahawks fans should love their teams first round pick.

I suspect some won’t because he’s not a ‘big name’. People will say they could’ve had Montez Sweat at #21.

Here’s a statistic to pay attention to….

2018 pressure percentages:

Montez Sweat — 20.2%

Brian Burns — 19.7%

L.J. Collier — 19.2%

Granted, Collier doesn’t have the extreme length and speed of Sweat or Burns. What he does have is a complete pass rush repertoire, extreme power and an ability to win in multiple ways.

Now let’s compare overall pressures:

Josh Allen — 57

Clelin Ferrell — 56

L.J. Collier — 54

Chase Winovich — 53

Montez Sweat — 48

Clearly the numbers prove he was right up there with the best pass rushers in this draft based on production.

How does he win? He’s highly explosive — scoring a 3.20 in TEF. He has a +82 inch wingspan and 34-inch arms. His technique is on point. He can bull rush, crash the edge, stunt inside, engage and then use his heavy hands to push/pull and he can bend the arc and straighten to the QB.

Hand-usage is so vital in the NFL for pass rushers. You’re going to need to engage linemen, not simply sprint past them like a lot of these college speed rushers are allowed to do. You need to win 1v1 battles. Collier does that.

Don’t believe me? Here’s Brian Baldinger:

.@TCUFootball @ljcollier91 plays far better than he tested in Indy. He has as much power off the edge as any rusher in this draft. Keep the analytics professors away from this player. #BaldysBreakdowns pic.twitter.com/ajZVRkZtFk — Brian Baldinger (@BaldyNFL) April 22, 2019

Earlier today I posted my tier lists for the early picks and listed L.J. Collier among the top targets. Here’s what I wrote in the blurb:

L.J. Collier is one of my favourite players in the draft. I wish he tested better but here’s the facts — he’s a bad ass who wins with power, hand-use, speed, stunts and setting up blockers.

Collier dominated at the Senior Bowl and really emerged on our radar after Mobile. Here’s an article I wrote about him in March.

He’s also had to fight and work to get to this point in his career. Collier had one recruiting offer in High School — Texas Tech — and it was pulled. He eventually landed at TCU. He’s turned himself into a force.

For so long people complained about the Seahawks ‘overthinking’ and relying on athleticism for their picks. In Collier, they’ve taken someone who didn’t have an amazing combine. He just worked his tail off to be a success, is incredibly tough and physical and has excellent production.

Would he have been available later? He was always a top-50 pick. I had him going to Jacksonville at #38 in my second round projection. They needed a defensive end and they got their guy at #29.

For me this is an attempt to replace Michael Bennett. I’ve seen some suggesting it’s a replacement pick for Rasheem Green. They’re very different players — in terms of profile and size. Collier will demand attention at one end, will play stout against the run and get after the quarterback. The key now is to provide a quicker compliment on the other side.

This was a great start to Seattle’s 2019 draft. Here’s a recap on the headlines:

— The Seahawks trade down with the Packers, moving from #21 to #30

— They acquired two fourth round picks from Green Bay (#114, #118)

— They spent the #29 pick on TCU defensive end L.J. Collier

— Pick #30 was traded to the New York Giants for #132 & #142

— They now possess nine total picks

They now own nine picks in total:

#29 (R1) L.J. Collier (DE, TCU)

#37 (R2)

#92 (R3)

#114 (R4)

#118 (R4)

#124 (R4)

#132 (R4)

#142 (R5)

#159 (R5)

The Seahawks control rounds four and five. The #37 pick is in a good range. With this deep defensive draft and some decent options at receiver and tight end — they have some great options for Friday and Saturday.

What will they do next? A run on receivers could start now that N’Keal Harry has been taken with the #32 pick. Seattle could consider Terry McLaurin or Parris Campbell. Do they look at D.K. Metcalf too? Tight end is an alternative (Dawson Knox) and there are good offensive linemen still on the board (Cody Ford).

The big strength remains on defense though. Only one of the cornerbacks went in round one. Is this the year for the Seahawks to consider a Lonnie Johnson, Justin Layne, Isaiah Johnson or Sean Bunting in round two? Do they focus on the nickel/safety hybrids like Juan Thornhill and Chauncey Gardner-Johnson? Byron Murphy is still available as is Jaylon Ferguson, Chase Winovich and Trysten Hill.

A new podcast will be available shortly. Join us again tomorrow for another live blog, more reaction and I’ll update the tier list before the start of round two.

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