The Seattle Seahawks have impressed so far this season in spite of their inability to get after the quarterback. To address their pass-rushing woes, Florida defensive end Jabari Zuniga and the Seahawks could be an intriguing fit in the 2020 NFL Draft.
Before the season began, Seattle made a trade to acquire Jadeveon Clowney from the Houston Texans. Along with Clowney, the Seahawks also drafted L.J. Collier in the first round and signed Ezekiel Ansah in hopes to bolster the defensive front.
So far this season, the Seahawks have combined for only 23 sacks (tied for third-fewest in the NFL). While Clowney has drastically improved the run defense, he's only accounted for three sacks in 2019.
However, the Pro-Bowl edge rusher has been playing with an injury for the majority of the season. After this season, Clowney will become an unrestricted free agent. There's no doubt that Clowney is going to command a lucrative contract in the offseason.
Regardless of what they decide to do with Clowney, it's evident the Seahawks need to bolster their defensive line. In light of that, Zuniga should absolutely be a player that the Seahawks consider taking in next year's draft.
Zuniga, a redshirt senior for the Gators, has dealt with injuries in 2019. The Florida defensive end has only played in four games in his final season in college.
In those four games, Zuniga has continued to show his ability to rush the passer; totaling 11 tackles and three sacks. The talented defensive end has combined for 115 tackles, 18.5 sacks, and 33 tackles for loss in his collegiate career.
Those numbers are quite impressive considering that Florida has mistakenly used him as an inside linebacker at times. Zuniga is able to thrive when he is able to put his hand on the ground and rush the quarterback.
Nevertheless, Zuniga's strength is the best part of his game thus far. Allowing him to develop in the other areas could give him a chance to become a formidable edge defender in the NFL.
The Seahawks are 10-3 as this article is being written and are undoubtedly a contender in the NFC. Given that, Seattle is currently slated to have the 28th overall pick in next year's draft.
Depending on the players that are remaining, Seattle should consider using their first-round selection on Zuniga. With this upcoming class of defensive ends being deep coupled with his latest injury, Zuniga could fall outside of the first round.
Luckily for Seattle, they have two second-round picks if they want to add Zuniga to the roster. The potential of Zuniga alongside the other pass rushers for the Seahawks could be a recipe for success for Pete Carroll.
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