Seahawks’ 3rd-round pick Rasheem Green brings versatility to D-line
Apr 27, 2018, 8:43 PM | Updated: 9:24 pm
The Seahawks selected USC DL Rasheem Green in the third round Friday. (AP)
(AP)
The Seahawks’ newest defensive lineman, Rasheem Green, was a five-star recruit coming out of high school who didn’t need to move far when he committed to USC. The 20-year-old will remain on the west coast this fall – though this time, it’ll be 1,100 miles north in Seattle.
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Green watched the draft with his parents from his home in California, both of whom were happy to see him selected No. 79 overall by the Seahawks. But the process of sitting and waiting through three rounds before hearing his name called was a bit harder for Green.
“It’s tough,” Green said. “Watching guys get drafted that play your position, when I personally feel like I’m a bit better than them.”
Eventually, though, he got the call, and a clearly-pleased Green told general manager John Schneider playing for the Seahawks would be “a dream come true.”
“A dream come true.”
📞@ras_green gets the call! #SeahawksDraft pic.twitter.com/QuucerRUIc— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 28, 2018
A boost for Seattle’s defense
Green not only fills a hole on the interior (following the departure of Sheldon Richardson) but also at defensive end. It’s a type of versatility Schneider and Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll have long coveted.
“He’s young, long, played a lot of 3-technique,” Schneider said. “He’s got 83 career pressures, 15 career sacks. Loves rushing inside; he’s got some real nice outside rush, too.”
Carroll says right now the plan is to have Green play at 5-technique, defensive end, and as an inside rusher in nickel situations.
“We’ll see what that brings us, but that’s the thought right now,” Carroll said. “We need a little help there, so it’s a good get for us.”
Schneider attributes Green’s fall into the third round to a medical grade; a result of a knee injury he sustained three years ago and shouldn’t have any impact on his participation in camp this summer.
“We have an orthopedic medical grade and we have a durability grade that we use as well with our sports science guys and our analytical guys. And he has a very solid durability grade, so we’re excited about that,” Schneider said.
When it comes to his playing style, Green noted his size and anticipation.
“I feel like I’m a very long and quick player,” Green said. “And I do a good job of knowing what’s going to happen before it happens.”
“He’s going to improve his pass rush, for sure,” Carroll said of Green’s play. “Just the finesse part of it he’s new at it. And he’ll grow more, he’ll get stronger in the next couple years… but he’s quick now, he’s a quick slasher-type of guy. He’s not a load-up, heavy-duty type of run defender. We’ll play him in a position where he can utilize that.”
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