Seahawks Legend Details How First-Round Pick Jordyn Brooks Can Get Off to Fast Start

At one time, Lofa Tatupu had to win over Seahawks fans and silence his own doubters as a top draft pick. What does the former All-Pro think it will take for Jordyn Brooks to find similar immediate success in the Pacific Northwest?

SEATTLE, WA - Following a highly successful six-year NFL career that featured three Pro Bowls and a First-Team All-Pro selection, Lofa Tatupu understands what it takes to play the linebacker position at an elite level.

The former USC star also knows what Jordyn Brooks, who was picked by the Seahawks in the first round of this year's NFL draft, may be experiencing as a scrutinized top draft choice. Tatupu himself wasn't exactly a popular selection amongst fans and analysts when the Seahawks used a second-round pick on him back in 2005.

"When I think back to my draft, I remember there was one guy - one guy - that said 'don't be surprised if there's a lot of Tatupu jerseys in the stands." Tatupu smiled.

That "one guy" was NFL Draft Scout analyst Rob Rang, who has rightfully earned his place among the best draft gurus in the business. His take on Tatupu proved to be prophetic, as he immediately posted a 100-plus tackle season and started in the Super Bowl for Seattle as a rookie, instantly becoming a fan favorite.

Two years later, Tatupu emerged as the gold standard for NFL middle linebackers, finishing with 109 tackles, four interceptions, and three forced fumbles in 2007. And as predicted, Tatupu jerseys could be spotted throughout Qwest Field.

While Tatupu hasn't met Brooks and doesn't know the young linebacker personally, after watching some of his tape starring at Texas Tech, he's confident the rookie will be able to quickly quiet critics in similar fashion.

"He plays like he has a chip on his shoulder," Tatupu assessed. "He's got good size - he's 6-foot, 240 pounds - he runs like you want him to run, looks like you want him to look."

Comparing him to Mychal Kendricks, who started 14 games at SAM linebacker for Seattle last season before tearing his ACL in the season finale, Tatupu sees an aggressive, downhill linebacker who put up gaudy numbers for the Red Raiders. As a senior, he impressively produced over 100 tackles and 20 tackles for loss in just 11 games while dealing with a shoulder injury.

"One fifth of your tackles are behind the line of scrimmage? That's production and that changes the landscape of games."

Unlike when Tatupu entered the league 15 years ago, Brooks will have to deal with some unfortunate disadvantages trying to prepare for his first NFL action. With stay-at-home orders still in effect for most states due to COVID-19, there's a strong likelihood teams won't be able to conduct any traditional on-field offseason activities and it remains unclear whether training camp will be able to start on time.

As exhibited by the struggles of 2019 first-round pick L.J. Collier, who missed the entire preseason with an ankle injury and finished with just three tackles in 11 games, losing invaluable on-field reps can put any rookie behind the 8-ball acclimating to football at the highest level. This year, all of the rookies will be trying to play catchup given atypical circumstances.

When asked what advice he would give Brooks to make the most of a challenging situation and how he'd handle it if he was in his shoes, Tatupu suggested film study should be his top priority until teams are allowed to reconvene at their facilities.

"I'm a visual learner, so I'd be asking for all the film and I'd be asking 'what does it look like? What are you asking me to do?" Tatupu said.

Elaborating on his point, Tatupu indicated the best linebackers don't just take on blocks by hitting someone. Along with knowing their keys, they master hand placement and foot placement to work around blocks as quickly as possible and make plays.

There's an art to playing the position, which explains why there is only one Bobby Wagner in the league. Given these intricacies, Tatupu believes putting time in breaking down film will best position Brooks for immediate success without the benefit of OTAs or minicamp.

"The playbook is great, you're going to learn the plays," Tatupu remarked. "But I'd be asking for video or just footage of what it looks like and how they want me to play and I would taylor my game, adjust accordingly."

Time will tell when the NFL is able to resume on-field activities. But regardless of when teams are given the green light to practice, comments from general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll suggest Brooks will compete for playing time at either the WILL or SAM linebacker spot from the outset.

If Brooks heeds the advice of Tatupu, who made the most of his initial opportunity to wipe away the negative energy surrounding him, lightning could strike twice as he aims to quickly silence doubters and make an expeditious splash with the Seahawks.