This Seahawks Player is a Surprise Breakout Candidate for 2020
By Stephen Lebitsch
The Seattle Seahawks have been a perennial favorite in the NFC West since the emergence of the Legion of Boom. Over the last two seasons, they've secured playoff berths, earning a second-round exit in the 2019 season thanks to the Packers.
Looking to stamp their ticket for the third straight season in 2020, the door is open for Pete Carroll's group. However, with the LOB becoming a distant memory, the Seahawks will need some secret jewels to step up and take over.
One breakout candidate on the 'Hawks roster this upcoming season is defensive end Darrell Taylor.
The pass-rush department is looking barren for Seattle as the departure of Jadeveon Clowney looms, and they'll need to develop weapons to contain opposing quarterbacks, especially the highly mobile ones in their division like Kyler Murray. Outside of veteran Bruce Irvin, the pass rushing unit is lacking some names.
Darrell Taylor, the Seahawks' 2020 second-round draft pick out of Tennessee, could become a name that opposing offenses watch out for in film and on game day.
Standing at 6-4 and weighing 267 pounds, Taylor is an absolute beast of a defensive end, and offers both a rush and coverage in the flat. In his redshirt senior season at UT, he tied for second in the SEC with 46 tackles, 8.5 sacks, and a few forced turnovers and defended passes. Some of his qualities include eluding offensive tackles, stuffing the running lanes on short yardage downs, and transitioning to an outside linebacker on certain plays.
Partnered with defensive end L.J. Collier, Taylor is positioned to receive extensive snaps early and become a formidable force on the defensive front. The one concern surrounding his game is his lack of participation in the NFL Combine events due to surgery, but the Seahawks have still placed their trust in him.
Darrell Taylor could easily repay their trust and be a surprise stud if he brings his college game with him.