The most impactful Seattle Seahawks in 2021: No. 10-6

Welcome back!

We only have two installments left to investigate the potential player impact on the 2021 roster. With six days to go before the start of the season, things get serious. These are the types. You know their names, but you haven’t seen them on TV yet. Everyone here is capable of winning a game for their team, which means Pete Carroll has decided that most of them will make their debut on opening day this year.

Countdown of the Seahawks with the greatest impact: Numbers 53-46

Countdown of the Seahawks with the greatest impact: Nos. 45-36

Countdown of the Seahawks with the greatest impact: Nos. 35-26

Seahawks countdown with the greatest impact: Nos. 25-21

Countdown of the Seahawks with the greatest impact: Nos. 20-16

Countdown of the Seahawks with the greatest impact: Numbers 15-11

The Top 10 Most Influential Seattle Seahawks

10. DK Metcalf, broad receiver

Here’s a funny stat: Metcalf is the 28th overall receiver in the history of the Seahawks franchise. He did that in two seasons.

Metcalf is insane – and is in his third year to become the Seahawks’ best player in the NFL Top 100. In a position that attracts a lot of attention. Nevertheless, we have seen that Metcalf will not make it into the playoffs alone with his 1303 yards, which is why he is not higher in our impact ranking. But it was clear from day one that Russell Wilson absolutely loved this deep threat target that is just so different from Tyler Lockett. Metcalf’s addition to Lockett gives the Seahawks legitimate playmaking skills at every point on the field. Whether Wilson uses all of these weapons properly are the things that will raise Seattle’s hopes of reaching the most competitive league in the NFL.

9. Jordyn Brooks, linebacker

Most fans will owe John Schneider an apology for this. This guy is a really – really – good first-round pick. He played over 50% of the Snaps in Preseason Week 1 before the team felt comfortable enough with him as a full-time starter to keep him out of harm’s way for the rest of August.

This was likely to have been missed by most, but Brooks was the team’s lead tackler for the last two games of the 2020 season. More than Jamal Adams or Bobby Wagner. He progressed faster over the course of a rookie season than anyone I can remember in a long time. Pick up where he left off at the end of the season and add that second knowledge at the start of this season … he’ll put up some numbers.

The reason Brooks is on this list is because he and Darrell Taylor taken together are not KJ Wright. That’s the emotional part of business, and it’s honestly easier for me not to acknowledge that reality, but it’s also an incredible compliment. Wright is one of the best to ever make it, and the brass section believes Brooks is ready to replace him on the field, if never in our hearts.

8. Tyler Lockett, wide receiver

Let me finish Will Tyler Lockett have a better season than DK Metcalf? At this point in his career, I don’t think so. But last year one of them had 132 goals and the other 129. Although only a 1.1% difference, Lockett had 17 more receptions than Metcalf and the same number of touchdowns.

A very different player to Metcalf, Lockett will have more reliable hands than the would-be Olympics until his death. We’ve also seen at several points throughout the season how devastating it is when an offensive doesn’t have a real threat with the number 2. Lockett struggled with some injuries at times last year and that was evident on both WR scorecards. Since Lockett has been such a high quality receiver for so long – and knows how to deal with the various schemes better – he opens up a far greater potential for Metcalf. So I claim for at least another year, even if Lockett doesn’t have a better season than Metcalf, you need him more. That can change at some point, but not yet.

7. Brandon Shell, correct tackle

Look, I’m not going to lie to you. I shamelessly played both sides of the Germain Ifedi card for years. Was it a very reasonable result of a first round selection? Yes sir. Is he still one of the biggest Seahawks to throw under the bus? Absolutely.

Shell isn’t and never will be and it makes me very happy. Last year Shell approved three sacks and imposed four fines. In 2017, Germain Ifedi allowed four sacks and signed up 21 penalties.

To help the team move forward rather than backward from the correct tackle position, Brandon Shell received positive reviews.

6. DJ Reed, right left cornerback

He’s not the hero we deserve; He’s the hero we needed. Still, it’s really hard to name Reed. Is he great? I do not know. Is he good at all? Um, probably?

Reed scores extremely average on a number of statistics. The reason he’s an influential top 10 player this season is because Seattle chose to have options in every other position this year. Cornerback … not so much. At least not yet. There is a glimmer of hope, however. This is the best I can offer in terms of Reed not being a coincidence.

Last season, Reed’s passport rating was 75.8. Defensive golden child and adopted son of DK Metcalf – Stephon Gilmore of the New England Patriots – was 75.7 years old. No, they weren’t one and two, Reed actually comes in at number 33 in the NFL with that number. However, that includes a number of guys who barely qualify but don’t start for their teams like Jimmy Smith, Matt Milano and our own Ryan Neal.

Of the cornerbacks who started 10 or more games last year, Reed was the 7th best in the NFL in the allowed passer rating. It’s interesting and encouraging at the same time. Again, it may not mean anything, but the decline after Reed is palpable right now and has resulted in a ridiculous amount of moves and trades from the front office. Can you imagine how many passing meters this team would give up if the starting defense had not one but two corners worse than Reed?

Tomorrow the top 5.