I like LJ Collier a lot more than most. He's not your traditional Edge rusher, but will probably average 8 - 9 sacks a year. Where his value comes in is going to be setting the edge, and stopping the run. 2 things we sucked at last year. People ran all over us, then killed us with misdirection and the passing game.
I'm shocked that we won as many games as we did, but that's all a credit to Russell Wilson,Tyler Lockett, DK Metcalk and Chris Carson among others.
I think our defense vastly improves this year, coming in around the top 10, maybe at #12. I've been kind of up an down on this, but I think #12 is reasonable, and good enough, with our offense, to get to the SuperB Owl.
And I think LJ is going to be part of that improvement.
For those that think he was overdrafted, maybe so, but not by much. He was probably valued as a 2nd round pick by most people, and I know Todd McShay had him as a very late 1st, to mid 2nd round pick. And that late in the 1st round, you're unlikely to find a legit first round talent. FYI, McShay thought Seattle was the best place for Collier to go for success in the NFL.
Is TCU’s L.J. Collier a first-round pick?
McShay’s most against-the-grain take is the Patriots taking TCU defensive end L.J. Collier at the end of the first round.
In over 50 mock drafts surveyed in our SB Nation database, it’s the only time Collier appears in the first round.
In his mock draft six days ago, McShay had Collier just outside the first round at No. 35 to the Raiders.
There are surprising first-round picks every year (nobody projected Steelers safety Terrell Edmunds in the first round last year), so it’s certainly possible that Collier gets his name called.
Collier’s athletic profile doesn’t scream first-round pick, nor do his 14.5 sacks in four seasons. But McShay clearly sees something in the TCU pass rusher that most others don’t.
https://www.sbnation.com/nfl/2019/4/9/1 ... pn-3-round