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The Seattle Seahawks selected TCU defensive lineman L.J. Collier in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft last Thursday, and the Seahawks already have high hopes for him heading into his first season.
Seattle head coach Pete Carroll says that Collier will be asked to do a lot of the same things Michael Bennett did during his time in the Pacific Northwest:
“He’ll play the spot where Michael Bennett played, and we’ll ask him to do a lot of similar things and in time, you know, we’ll see what that means,’’ Carroll said, according to Bob Condotta of The Seattle Times. “But that’s where we’re starting anyway.’’
Collier is perfectly fine with that, as he likes the Bennett comparison:
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“I think that's a great comparison (to Bennett) because he can play outside and he can play in,” said Collier. “He’s a tough, hard-nosed guy. He loves to hit people. I like his style of play and his flexibility of going in and out. Obviously I can do that, too. That’s where I see the comparison.”
Does such a comparison put any pressure on the rookie? He says no:
“Not at all,’’ Collier said. “If anything, it drives me to get better. The guys here are going to push me. They’re going to help me get better. It doesn’t put any pressure on me at all. I’ve lived with pressure my whole life. It just pushes me to go harder and play even better.’’
The 23-year-old is coming off of a senior campaign in which he totaled 42 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, six sacks and four passes defended. With the loss of Frank Clark along the Seahawks' defensive line, Collier may be asked to do quite a bit right off the bat.
