Seahawks’ top rookie Jordyn Brooks doesn’t take part, ‘rests’ for first practice in pads
Jordyn Brooks’ bid to start his first NFL game hit a pause.
The Seahawks’ rookie first-round draft choice stood behind his defense in sneakers without his helmet and watched the first day of practice in shoulder pads of training camp Monday.
He watched veteran K.J. Wright again be the first-team weakside linebacker in base defense. When Seattle went to nickel drills with five defensive backs and two linebackers in the early, group stage of practice, 2019 draft pick Cody Barton got some time as the second linebacker with All-Pro Bobby Wagner.
Coach Pete Carroll didn’t specify Brooks being injured when he talked to the media before practice.
A team spokesman said Brooks was getting “rest.” That’s unusual but not unprecedented for a top rookie on the first day in shoulder pads of a training camp.
“We slowed down a couple guys,” Carroll said, mentioning only defensive tackles Jarran Reed and Poona Ford’s leg injuries.
Reed missed Sunday with a sore knee but returned to practice Monday. Ford was again watching while wearing a blue bucket hat.
Brooks jogged easily between drills with his fellow linebackers.
He had shoulder surgery in December at the end of his final college season at Texas Tech. He missed the Senior Bowl scouting extravaganza for NFL scouts in January. In April, Seattle chose the Tech tackling machine and speedy linebacker with the 27th-overall selection the the draft.
“We are looking after guys right now, in the first push of camp, to make sure we get through the first push. Sometimes it’s a bit of a shock to their system,” Carroll said. “And so we are looking to look after guys as we go through showing us where they are and how they handle the workload.”
Brooks had been working with Wagner as the two linebackers in nickel defense over the first four practices of camp. Wright has primarily been the weakside linebacker, his spot since Seattle drafted him in 2011. Bruce Irvin has mostly been the strongside linebacker in Seattle’s base 4-3 defense during position drills.
Carroll raved about Brooks before practice Monday.
“He looks the part,” the coach said. “He REALLY looks the part. He’s got a great body. He’s built differently than we’ve seen guys. He’s really big (in the) legs and hips and butt, and he’s really (built with) a low center of gravity. Really powerful guy. And he’s very quick and explosive.
“So he’s already shown that a number of times. He’s shown some really good instincts playing off blockers, which is not always a natural things. But he uses his hands really well. He has made a really good impression … .”
Carroll described the next, new challenge for Brooks to conquer in order to win a starting job for his rookie season: the intensity of how his Seahawks practice and prepare.
“We are really trying to get him to really groove into how we practice, just so his mentality is on it every single step of every day,” Carroll said. “He doesn’t have a chance to do this unless he’s really into it — the whole time.
“For him to get a chance to play early in the season he’s going to have to have a great camp. So, you know … he’s off to a good start.”
And, at least for one day, a pause.
This story was originally published August 17, 2020 at 3:09 PM.
