The following is an excerpt from Warren Sharp's 2025 Football Preview book. In addition to Warren's deep, detailed write-up on all 32 NFL teams, each chapter features page after page of full-color charts, stats, and heatmaps as well as defensive previews from Raymond Summerlin. Click here for a full FREE chapter from the 2025 Football Preview.
While offenses dominate NFL discussion, the other side of the ball plays a large role
With the 2025 NFL season fast approaching, let's look at the defense of the Seattle Seahawks and preview how it might perform this season.
2025 Seattle Seahawks Defense
Seattle allowed 4.6 yards per carry to running backs (27th) and a 1.64 yards before contact average on those runs (28th).
The core of the defensive line group is back with Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and Byron Murphy II. Williams is coming off another outstanding season in which he led the team with 12 run stuffs and 11 sacks.
Seattle got pressure on opposing quarterbacks in 2024, finishing third with a 37.9% pressure rate and eighth with 45 sacks. The defensive line unit above played a big role in those numbers, but Seattle also got good contributions off the edge.
Derick Hall led the EDGE group with 8 sacks a season ago, posting a 12.7% pressure rate. Boye Mafe had 6 sacks of his own, but his 14.4% pressure rate ranked 16th among qualified pass rushers.
Dre’Mont Jones is gone, but the Seahawks added veteran DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency to add another option off the edge.
This pass rush will be in an even better spot if they get a full season out of Uchenna Nwosu, who has played 12 games total in the last two years after recording 9.5 sacks in 2022.
Added via a trade midway through the season, linebacker Ernest Jones signed a three-year deal to stay with the Seahawks this offseason. Jones recorded a tackle on 23.9% of his run defense snaps a season ago, a number that ranked seventh among all qualified linebackers.
2024 fourth-round pick Tyrice Knight established himself as a starter in the second half of his rookie season, and he played well enough to get his shot at the No. 2 spot in 2025.
The Seahawks allowed 6.9 yards per attempt in 2024 (9th) and ranked 11th in defensive EPA per pass attempt. It is tough to question the talent atop the depth chart at corner.
A first-round pick in 2023, Devon Witherspoon allowed just 5.4 yards per target as a rookie, but that fell to 7.4 in his sophomore season.
Riq Woolen burst onto the scene as a fifth-round rookie in 2022, and he has allowed just 5.9 yards per target and a 68.8 quarterback rating in coverage over three seasons.
Josh Jobe opened the 2024 season on the practice squad, but he found himself in the starting lineup late in the season and held his own in that role. Seattle also has 2024 fifth-round pick Nehemiah Pritchett, but he did not look ready on limited snaps as a rookie.
At safety, Coby Bryant is coming off a solid year in coverage, allowing a 77.3 quarterback rating and ranking 36th among qualified safeties in yardage allowed per coverage snap.
Julian Love allowed the same number of touchdowns in coverage last season (6) as he had in the previous two seasons combined, but he allowed just 6.2 yards per target and remains a quality option.
Seattle added to the safety group with Nick Emmanwori in the second round.
This analysis continues in the 2025 Football Preview
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Warren Sharp's book shares insights into the players, coaches, teams, and philosophies with one goal: to prepare you for the 2025 NFL season with the smartest information delivered in the fastest, most direct way possible for optimal reviewing and retention.
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