The success of the Seahawks’ DL hinges on Rasheem Green in 2019

Jul 10, 2019, 1:18 PM | Updated: Jul 11, 2019, 11:50 am

Seahawks DE Rasheem Green missed four games due to injury in his rookie season. (Getty)

(Getty)

Editor, Seattle Sports

The Seahawks kick off training camp on July 25, and until then, Brock and Salk will count down the top 25 most intriguing Seahawks every weekday at 8:30 a.m. Their list continues with guest hosts Lydia Cruz and Jake Heaps looking at No. 11, DE Rasheem Green.

Listen to the segment here, or see highlights below:

Quick look

• Third-round selection by Seahawks in 2018
• Appeared in 10 games, registering a sack and nine combined tackles in 2018
• Missed four games due to ankle injury suffered in Week 3
• Will be just 22 years old during the entire 2019 season

What Jake Heaps says

The 6-foot-4, 279-pound Green was a standout of the 2018 Seahawks preseason. The regular season was a different story, though, especially after his Week 3 ankle injury.

“Rasheem Green is one of the guys that this defense and this coaching staff is relying on to make a huge jump going forward,” Heaps said. “… Absolute all-star in the preseason, then he had the injury bug hit him, and ever since that happened Rasheem Green just never got himself back on the field playing at that high level.”

While Green’s rookie season didn’t end up the way he or the Seahawks may have hoped, he’s still very young and has a lot of upside.

“He’s a puppy,” Heaps said. “… What I would expect from Rasheem Green is to be stout, assignment-sound in the run game, and then as a pass-rusher, I believe that Rasheem Green can be a six- to eight-sack guy. If he can produce that, it will fit right into what this defensive line group is right now, which is sack-by-committee.”

What the Seahawks are saying

“We gotta get Rasheem Green to really come alive. He had some really good spots last year, did great early in the season, got worn down a little bit and wasn’t quite as effective, but he has to be a factor for us from inside. … We’re just looking for activity and problem-makers.” – Head coach Pete Carroll

What makes him so intriguing

The Seahawks’ shaky defensive line is now missing top pass-rusher Frank Clark, and though Seattle added L.J. Collier in the draft and Ziggy Ansah in free agency, a lot hinges on Green being a productive player.

“Pete Carroll, every single step of the way this entire offseason has mentioned Rasheem Green,” Heaps said. “Draft L.J. Collier in the first round? Mentioned Rasheem Green. Talk about OTAs and where the defensive line can be? Rasheem Green. Talk about getting Ziggy Ansah? Rasheem Green. They are counting on him to show up, and they need him to.

“The depth of this defensive line and the success of it is ultimately going to be on Rasheem Green, and I know that’s a big statement and that’s saying a lot, but if you can have Rasheem Green be as effective as he could be in the run game and the passing game, it brings great stability and depth to you. Because now you’re not as reliant on Ziggy Ansah coming back from injury and needing him as desperately as you need him right now. Rasheem Green is a big piece to all of this. L.J. Collier, you’re not needing him to be a 10-sack guy as a rookie. You can get this by committee, but Rasheem Green has to be part of the committee. And if he’s not, then this defensive line is going to struggle the entire season.”