It's no secret. The Seattle Seahawks had a major linebacker problem heading into this off-season. After losing Bobby Wagner, Jordyn Brooks, and Devin Bush to free agency the Seahawks were going to have to completely rebuild their off-ball linebacker group. So who will step up and be the next Bobby Wagner in Seattle?
General manager John Schneider has already been aggressive signing multiple free agent linebackers to the team in Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson, but the team doesn't have any other returning linebacker who played more than 21 defensive snaps last year. They're almost certainly going to be adding one via the NFL Draft. A few weeks ago our very own Evan Winter was already eyeing the perfect fit at linebacker for the Seahawks. After today, it looks like he may have been on to something.
According to Jim Nagy, Executive Director of the Senior Bowl, the Seahawks' linebackers coach flew 2000 miles across the country to make it to the Michigan Pro Day. Why does that matter? Michigan has one of the best linebackers in the entire 2024 NFL Draft class, Junior Colson.
Yes, the Wolverines have 17 other prospects who got NFL Combine invites. There are plenty other talents to pay attention to today. However, it is notable that the Seahawks' only confirmed defensive staff member present was their linebackers coach.
Junior Colson logged nearly 2000 snaps for Michigan's defense in just three seasons for the Wolverines. He jumped on the field as immediate starting off-ball linebacker as a true freshman, then functioned as the quarterback of the defense in both 2022 and 2023.
Unfortunately, Colson wasn't able to work out at the NFL Combine or at his pro day today as he's still recovering from a broken hand that he played through the entire 2023 season. Despite being unable to see him work out, with the Seahawks' linebackers coach traveling all the way across the country, it's clear he's going to be meeting with Colson while in Ann Arbor.
Colson is currently a consensus early round three prospect via large sample NFL mock draft data and league sources that I've talked to, but given the weakness of the linebacker class overall he may fall perfectly to the Seahawks' pick at 81. If so, it's quite possible the Seahawks just met with their next Bobby Wagner today at the Michigan Pro Day.
Be looking for more NFL Draft and pro day coverage in the coming weeks here at A to Z Sports. Be sure to follow me (@FF_TravisM) and A to Z Sports (@AtoZSportsNFL) on X for all the latest news!
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