Darron Lee Should Be Seattle Seahawks’ No. 1 Draft Target Following 2016 NFL Combine

The Seattle Seahawks have been one of the top teams in the NFC for a while now, but they are entering an offseason that will be crucial to the continued success of their franchise. The team has many players who are going to be hitting free agency and one of their most important guys is Bruce Irvin. Irvin has been a mainstay for the team’s terrific linebacker corps, but he is likely to leave the team after they declined to pick up his fifth-year option last offseason.

With that said, it is only logical that the Seahawks are going to be looking for a replacement, and they may target one in the first couple rounds of the draft. The team should look to take Ohio State’s Darron Lee with their first-round pick, as he would be a natural replacement for Irvin.

During his final year at Ohio State, Lee played some terrific all-around defense. Lee used his athleticism to make tackles and has good coverage abilities, but he’s also able to get to the quarterback. Lee has some speed as well which was on display at the NFL Combine. He blazed a 4.47 in the 40-yard dash and looked great in the drills. He was one of the smoother linebackers on the field and really helped his stock with the performance.

Now some may argue that Seattle should be looking at taking an offensive lineman early in the draft, given the issues they had up front last season, but that has not seemed to be their preferred route over Pete Carroll‘s tenure. The Seahawks often select the most athletic player on their board, and in this scenario it could be Lee. There just are not many athletic tackles likely to be available so early, as Indiana’s Jason Spriggs will probably be gone by the time the Seahawks are picking.

Still, Lee is not a bad alternative as he definitely fills a need. He would fit right in next to K.J. Wright and Bobby Wagner and should have no trouble replacing Irvin. In fact, he will come cheaper and could offer more upside than the four-year veteran at this point in his career. Also, Lee has good length to him which will fit the prototype that Seattle likes among their defenders. Lee would be a great fit in Seattle and may be the best option with their top selection.