The Smartest Pick Seahawks Made in 2020 NFL Draft

Despite having one of the league's top offenses, the defense in Seattle is a far cry from the days of the Legion of Boom. Instead, the Seahawks put up a defensive performance ranking near the bottom of the league in many ways last season.

With that in mind, Seattle was bound to select a few defensive additions in this year's NFL Draft. While first-round pick Jordyn Brooks delivered on that goal, the team's smartest pick was Tennessee defensive end Darrell Taylor.

Taylor will prove especially important to a Seattle pass rush that generated just 28 sacks last year, tied for second-fewest in the league. Seattle also ranked poorly in another important metric, rate of pressure on dropbacks, at just 22.9%, while sitting at 27th in opponent passing yards per game.

Additionally, Seattle finds itself in a bit of an uncomfortable situation with Quinton Jefferson already out the door and Jadeveon Clowney possibly next, two of their biggest producers.

All of these troubles create a perfect opportunity for Taylor to step in and make an impact, a player who has done just that during his time at Tennessee.

Primarily an edge rusher, Taylor built a name for himself against some of the toughest competition in NCAA Football. Taylor has a high pressure percentage, along with the raw physicality to become a dominant force on the defensive line. All he needs is some fine tuning, a reality for many draft prospects.

The Draft is all about filling needs, and Seattle has to improve a pass rush that simply needs to be much better. With Taylor, it will move one step closer to reaching its nostalgic goal to build that way again.