The 2019 Seattle Seahawks are going to be a force to be reckoned with. In fact, I think they will snatch the division away from those flashy Los Angeles Rams. I just know it. Do you know why I know it? Because they drafted this guy, and he is my fourteenth reason why this Seahawks will make the playoffs.

LJ Collier; Rookie Defensive Linemen out of TCU.

Ashley Landis/The Dallas Morning News

Why is Collier poised to help Seattle topple the Rams?

Because this guy is a BAMF, and if you don’t know what a BAMF is, look it up because we are trying to keep things PG on this site. He is also the guy I first mocked to Seattle a few months back when I was doing a series of mocks. This makes me look smart, and looking at his game tape and the way he owned Senior Bowl practices last winter, I was quite convinced he would be well on Seattle’s radar. Why, you ask? Simple. This team missed Michael Bennett last year.. a lot.

You see, in hybrid defenses like New England, and Seattle, these schemes ideally call for versatile players. I would argue that there is more value in a player that can play multiple roles up front well enough than a player that can man one spot really well. Bennett was that guy in Seattle and it is no shocker that Bill Belichick traded for him this last offseason to have him in New England. The more that you can effectively do up front allows you to scheme better against your opponents. When Seattle’s defense was at it’s very best, they moved Bennett up and down the line, playing both end spots, tackle, and nose when rushing the quarterback.

I think Collier definitely can be a Michael Bennett in this league. I think he has the traits to play up and down Seattle’s defensive line much the same way. He can play edge, he can play tackle, and he can and most likely will play the five-technique position that Bennett owned when he was a Seahawk. At 6-2 and 290 lbs, and with long arms, and strong, violent hands, Collier can set an edge against the run, but he is also explosive and can win pass rushing with speed/power moves that can put blockers on skates.

I think more than any other rookie in this class, he is most plug and play, and I think playing next to Jarran Reed will give Seattle a pretty intimidating front four on early downs, and I would expect him to be the leading candidate to slide inside and pass rush next to Reed on third downs.

As you can probably tell, I’m really excited about this player, and if you have not done so yet, I highly suggest checking out his senior year highlight tape. When you do, I think you’ll like what you see a lot. This guy plays with a tone setting intensity that this front four needs, and it’s going to be really interesting to see how Seattle uses him this season. He might not be a huge sack guy, but he should be a tone-setting guy, and I would expect him to be quite productive with quarterback pressures. In short, he might create the pressures that turn into sacks and turnovers for other guys. That was Michael Bennett at his best. Relentless, disruptive, and instinctive.

I don’t care if it was a reach taking Collier where they did in the first. I’m just really glad that they grabbed him. He screams Seahawk defensive lineman.

OMG. Im excited. Aren’t you? I am.

Go Hawks.