Seahawks Banking on L.J. Collier Following Rasheem Green's Footsteps
When the Seahawks selected L.J. Collier in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft, it was a much-debated choice in large part due to the player’s lack of starting experience at the college level.
After all, Collier wasn’t even a full-time starter at TCU until his senior season, when he recorded 42 tackles, 6.0 sacks, and 11.5 tackles for loss. Prior to that point, he had been a key rotational reserve for the Horned Frogs and wasn’t on the radar as a top draft prospect.
But Collier immediately bolstered his NFL stock in Mobile, standing out as one of the top performers in the Senior Bowl. Coupled with an impressive pre-draft interview in Seattle, coach Pete Carroll and general manager John Schneider couldn’t pass up the chance to pick him.
“Being at the Senior Bowl,” Schneider commented. “He has an active set of hands and he jumps off the ball. He can go up and down the line. He has a lot of juice to him. He was the guy that would get in other people’s faces and he’s just our kind of guy. That’s the best way to describe it.”
Drawing comparisons to former Seahawks starter Michael Bennett, Collier was expected to compete for playing time right away and looked to be on the right track heading into training camp. Then, his leg buckled underneath him during a team scrimmage session in the team’s third practice and had to be carted off the field.
Suffering a “unique” ankle sprain according to Carroll, Collier missed the rest of camp and the entire preseason before finally returning in Week 2. Struggling to catch up after missing so much time, he couldn’t carve out a consistent role in Seattle’s defensive line rotation.
Playing a mere 152 defensive snaps, or 14 percent of Seattle’s total defensive snaps, Collier wrapped up his first season with just three tackles in 11 games. Making matters worse, he didn't dress for either of the team's playoff games as a healthy scratch, which is anything but a good look for a first-round pick.
“I think he just needs to be in there,” Carroll said when asked what Collier must do to take on a bigger role. “Get his play time, get going, get all of camp, get everything organized, he’s got it all together. We would like to play him inside and out, move him a little bit. I hope – I already talked to him about it – he can make the kind of jump that Rasheem [Green] made from year one to year two.”
As echoed by Carroll’s response, the Seahawks have been down this road before. Around this time a year ago, reporters were asking similar questions about Rasheem Green’s lack of progress as a rookie.
Drafted in the third round of the 2018 NFL Draft out of USC, Green dealt with many of the same issues Collier encountered during his first season in the league. After playing significant snaps during the first two games of the year, he suffered an ankle sprain in Week 3 and missed the next four games, stunting his development.
By the time Green returned in Week 8, he was battling a numbers game similar to the one Collier dealt with this year. Fellow rookie Jacob Martin had emerged as a situational rusher for the Seahawks on passing downs and Branden Jackson had carved out a larger rotational role as a base defensive end, further limiting his opportunities to impress.
Over the next seven weeks, Green played 20 or more defensive snaps in just two games. In similar fashion to Collier, he was deactivated as a healthy scratch and didn’t dress for the season finale or a wild card loss to Dallas, finishing a disappointing rookie campaign with nine tackles and a single sack.
But following another offseason in Seattle’s program, Green made a substantial jump in 2019. Though he only started eight games, his snap count doubled compared to his rookie year and he capitalized, finishing with a team-best 4.0 sacks, 15 pressures, and three forced fumbles.
Along with shining against the run, Green also made his presence felt with two blocked field goals on special teams during the final month of the season in losses to the Rams and Cardinals.
"I thought Rasheem had a terrific season this year to help us out and start to get his career rolling," Carroll said. "Hopefully L.J. will make the same kind of advance.”
Looking at his statistical improvements as well as increased play time, Green's emergence should provide positive reinforcement for fans who have been quick to dismiss Collier and promptly slap the bust label on him after a discouraging rookie season.
While Collier is nearly two years older than Green, he has comparable physical tools and offers similar versatility. With Quinton Jefferson set to become an unrestricted free agent, each player could be vying for extensive playing time both at defensive end and defensive tackle in pass rushing situations when Seattle kicks off its offseason program in April.
Just as Green did last spring into the summer, Collier must make the most of organized team activities and training camp. If he can stay healthy, refine his technique, and improve his conditioning, he’ll have a great chance to put a lost rookie season behind him and be far more productive for the Seahawks in 2020.