The Seahawks made their second trade in as many days as they moved 2020 2nd round pick, Darrell Taylor to the Chicago Bears for a 2025 6th round pick. Taylor was on a non-guaranteed $3M deal and was no higher than fifth on the depth chart for edge rushers.
Taylor has been an enigma as a Seahawk. Seattle traded up to acquire him in the 2020 draft and believed he was among the most talented pass rushers in that class that included Chase Young. Taylor had a leg injury that Seattle believed would heal in time for him to contribute as a rookie, but it persisted to the point where he lost his whole first year to injury.
There were flashes of promise once he did hit the field in 2021, when he finished with 6.5 sacks. The enthusiasm grew when he tallied 9.5 sacks a year later and forced 4 fumbles. His ability to set the edge and defend the run became a serious concern that season tumbled down the ranks to 30th in rush defense.
Pro Football Focus gave him a 57.6 overall grade in 2021 because his run defense grade (47.1) and tackling grade (28.4) were so low. His pass rush grade rose to 74.0 in 2022, but his overall grade was still just 58.0 because of low run defense (40.7) and tackling (41.4) grades. He missed a whopping 33.% of his tackles in 2021 and 22.2% in 2022.
His final year with the Seahawks saw begin the year as the starer opposite Uchenna Nwosu, but quickly lose his job to Boye Mafe after Taylor again struggled against the run. He finished with a career low PFF grade of 50.9, and 5.5 sacks. Even his pass rush grade wound up below average (58.7).
Still, Taylor has the 5th-most sacks among edge players over the last three seasons who were in the first four years of their career. Those players are:
- Micah Parson 40.5 sacks
- Alex Highsmith 27.5
- Jonathan Greenard 22.0
- Jaelan Phillips 22.0
- Darrell Taylor 21.5
That is of real value even with some obvious deficiencies in this game.
Only, Jeff Bryant (25.5) and Frank Clark (22.0) have had more sacks in their first three full seasons as a Seahawk than Taylor.
There are those who will bemoan the lowly return of a 6th round pick, but the reality is the Seahawks likely did not plan to keep him on this roster and other teams knew it.
Seattle has at least four other edge players they like more than Taylor, who can do all the things Mike Macdonald requires of that position.
Dre’Mont Jones, Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, and Derick Hall form a solid four man edge rotation. We have also seen Byron Murphy, Mike Morris, and Leonard Williams all take snaps at edge.
There are simply not enough snaps for a fifth edge rusher, especially a veteran like Taylor. It is similar to Mike Jackson, who was destined to sit behind other players while he was on a 1-year deal. There were also some questions about Taylor as a locker room presence as well as a personality fit for the culture Macdonald is trying to build.
Seattle may take the 6th round pick they acquired and ship it somewhere else to address depth at another position, possibly nose tackle. Check out hawkblogger.com for an upcoming article about possible targets for the backup nose tackle spot.
For now, the Seahawks add some draft compensation in a 2025 draft that is expected to be deep, and clear roughly $3M in cap space that can be shifted elsewhere. That is certainly preferable to getting nothing in return.