Seahawks 2024 Combine: Seattle Eyeing Bobby Wagner Successor at LB?
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Moving onto the next phase of a busy offseason, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider and the team's personnel department have descended upon Indianapolis for the annual NFL Scouting Combine this week to continue evaluating top prospects for the upcoming 2024 draft.
With free agency right around the corner, the Seahawks have major questions to address at the linebacker position with veterans Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, and Devin Bush all slated to hit the market as unrestricted free agents. Due to a lengthy coaching search, Schneider indicated on Tuesday that the team won't begin discussions with pending free agents until next week, creating uncertainty at the position as the Mike Macdonald era begins.
Even if Wagner, Brooks, and/or Bush returns for 2024, Macdonald cut his teeth as a linebackers coach with the Ravens and coached one of the best linebacker duos in the NFL in Roquan Smith and Patrick Queen over the past two seasons. Given his background, selecting and developing a player at the position likely will be a priority heading towards April's draft.
With festivities already under way, here's a look at 11 linebacker prospects who the Seahawks should be keeping close tabs on as potential second/third round and day-three targets to either succeed Wagner and Brooks or play alongside one of them in 2024:
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Second/Third Round
Junior Colson, Michigan
Starting as a true freshman at Michigan, Colson quickly emerged as one of the Big Ten's best linebackers. Built with a powerful 240-pound frame, he excelled as a run defender and tallied nearly 200 tackles in his final two seasons with the Wolverines, earning Second-Team All-Big Ten honors twice. Despite battling through a broken left hand late in the 2023 season and wearing a club to protect it, he registered 16 tackles in wins over Alabama and Michigan in the College Football Playoff. A stellar performance in athletic testing could put him in contention for first linebacker off the board in April.
Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson
The son of former Eagles great Jeremiah Trotter, Trotter Jr. isn't near as big as his father at 6'0, 230 pounds, but he still packs a physical punch on the field. After playing sparingly as a freshman, he stuffed the stat sheet in his final two seasons with the program, amassing 176 combined tackles, 12 sacks, and four interceptions, garnering Second-Team All-American honors in 2022 and First-Team All-ACC recognition in 2023. Expected to test well with explosive athletic traits, performing well in Indy should secure his place as a second-round selection.
Edgerrin Cooper, Texas A&M
Once a highly touted recruit, Cooper busted out as a redshirt freshman in 2021 for the Aggies, totaling 58 tackles and 5.5 tackles for loss in his first year as a starter. After another solid season in 2022, the athletic 230-pound linebacker exploded onto the scene as one of the country's most dynamic playmakers in the middle, earning consensus First-Team All-American accolades after racking up 84 tackles, eight sacks, 17 tackles for loss, and two forced fumbles. While his size remains a question mark, a special performance in Indy coupled with his outstanding production could solidify his standing as the top off-ball linebacker in this class.
Staying healthy each of the last two seasons, Payton Wilson won the Butkus Award in 2023 and if his medicals check out, he has the talent to be the first linebacker off the board in April.
Payton Wilson, North Carolina State
Injuries have been a major problem for Wilson dating back to high school, as he tore his ACL as a senior before tearing it again in his freshman season with the Wolfpack. He also missed most of the 2021 season after suffering a shoulder injury. But when he has been healthy, few defenders have been more impactful in college football, including registering 138 tackles, six sacks, and three interceptions last season. Winning the Butkus Award and earning unanimous First-Team All-American distinction, he has the most decorated resume of any linebacker in this class and medicals will be more important than athletic testing for him this week.
Cedric Gray, North Carolina
Formerly a receiver in high school, Gray made the full-time transition to linebacker after committing to the Tar Heels, getting by on pure athleticism and playmaking ability early in his college career. But over his final two seasons, he demonstrated remarkable polish for a player still learning the position, showcasing improved instincts and understanding of offensive schemes. As a result, he amassed a whopping 266 tackles in 2022 and 2023 while adding three interceptions, six sacks, and five forced fumbles in that span. Already boosting his stock with a strong week at the Senior Bowl, a quality outing in Indy could go a long way towards ensuring he gets picked early.
Ty'Ron Hopper, Missouri
Statistically, Hopper's production has been uneven compared to some of his peers in this year's draft class. But after transferring from Florida to Missouri in 2022, he earned back-to-back Second-Team All-SEC selections playing against the best competition in the country, including setting personal-bests with 77 tackles and 13.5 tackles for loss in 2022. Light for the position at 221 pounds, questions about how he will hold up physically at the next level won't be answered at the combine, but he has a chance to turn heads with an electric performance showcasing his speed and explosiveness.
Day Three Sleepers
Trevin Wallace, Kentucky
Gradually improving in each of his three seasons with the Wildcats, Wallace flashed as an all-around MIKE linebacker in Mark Stoops' defense, but consistency wasn't always there, particularly as a tackler and in coverage. Playing a physical brand of football at 241 pounds, he throws his body around and does better than expected sifting through traffic at the line of scrimmage, which allowed him to produce 80 tackles and 5.5 sacks last season. A mobile sideline-to-sideline athlete, he hasn't lost a step despite bulking up in college and if he tests as well as expected after productive seasons in the SEC, he could be a dark horse to sneak into day two.
Jaylan Ford, Texas
Like Wallace, Ford has packed on muscle in his four seasons at Texas, developing from a thin 221-pound freshman into a legitimate 242-pound NFL prospect with production to boot. As a run defender, he has a nose for the football and plays with great instincts, which led to over 200 tackles in his final two seasons with the Longhorns. In coverage, he's been a bit more feast or famine, as he picked off four passes in 2022 but regressed by allowing north of 12 yards per reception last season. Given those inconsistencies, his stock could be on the upswing with a great workout to make him one of the first linebackers off the board on day three.
Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
Before deciding to return for his senior season in Columbus, Eichenberg looked positioned to be a potential day two pick in last year's draft after an impressive junior campaign. Making plays in bunches for the Buckeyes, he recorded 120 tackles, 12 tackles for loss, four pass breakups, and an interception, earning First-Team All-Big Ten distinction. Unfortunately, a dislocated elbow cost him multiple games and he wasn't near as productive last season, though he still earned First-Team honors. Viewed as an average athlete with some coverage limitations, no linebacker in this class may have more to gain rebuilding his value with athletic testing than Eichenberg.
A heat-seeking missile from the MIKE linebacker spot, Jordan Magee dominated AAC competition as a pass rusher and run defender and could be a dark horse to watch in Indianapolis.
Jordan Magee, Temple
An under the radar thumper with plus instincts, Magee plays with an old school mindset while sporting a new school body. At 6-3, 225 pounds, he's tall and lanky, but he does a fantastic job reading his keys and has the burst to generate big plays in the backfield consistency, as demonstrated by his eight sacks and 23 tackles for loss in his last two seasons with the Owls. Somehow not getting invited to the Senior Bowl or East/West Shrine Bowl, he will have a chance to open some eyes in Indy and put his name in the discussion for a day three selection.
Tyrice Knight, UTEP
Offering immense versatility with extensive snaps at off-ball linebacker and outside linebacker, the 240-pound Knight has been one of the fastest rising prospects at any position in recent months. Lost in the shuffle at UTEP, he averaged 112 tackles per season in his final three years on campus while adding 8.5 sacks, two interceptions, and 14 pass breakups. A late addition to the Senior Bowl roster, he made a positive impression against top competition in Mobile and can continue his rapid ascent onto the map for NFL teams with a strong workout.
