SEATTLE — Despite plenty of talent spread through the Seattle Seahawks defense, the overall returns from the 2023 season were not pretty.
Seattle allowed 23.6 points per game in 2023 and was gashed consistently by opposing teams in the running game. Only seven teams allowed more points than the Seahawks defense last season. Only one team (Arizona Cardinals) was worse at defending the run.
Perhaps that was the impetus behind hiring a defensive-minded head coach like Mike Macdonald in the offseason. The new Seahawks coach has been likened to a defensive version of Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay, a wunderkind warping the perception of what is possible as a defense.
In contrast to the Seahawks' struggling unit, Macdonald's Ravens unit allowed a league-best 16.5 points per game in 2023, a full touchdown fewer than Seattle.
Now Macdonald will be tasked with reforming the Seahawks' defense and returning them to the National Football League (NFL)'s elite units.
Defensive line
- Starters: Jarran Reed (defensive end), Leonard Williams (defensive tackle), Johnathan Hankins (nose tackle)
- Depth chart: Mike Morris (DT), Myles Adams (DT), Cameron Young (NT), Byron Murphy II (DE), Devere Levelston (DE)
- Last season's leader: Boye Mafe (9 sacks)
- NFL rank last season: Tied for 11th (47 sacks)
Seattle used its No. 16 pick to select Byron Murphy II, ESPN's top-ranked defensive tackle and the 14th-best overall player in the 2024 draft class.
Yet the team does not necessarily need to lean on the Texas standout early in the season, given its starters in the trenches. Veteran Jarran Reed is coming off a season where he set new career highs in sacks (seven) and tackles (54).
The Seahawks also re-signed Leonard Williams to a three-year, $64.5 million contract in the offseason, a stamp of approval after the team sent a pair of draft picks to acquire the defensive tackle from the Giants.
Macdonald has plenty of interior options to deploy and now he has a shiny new toy to pressure the opposing team's quarterback.
Linebackers
- Starter: Tyrel Dodson (MLB), Jerome Baker (WLB), Uchenna Nwosu (SAM), Dre'Mont Jones (RUSH)
- Depth chart: Jon Rhattigan (MLB), Tyrice Knight (MLB), Patrick O'Connell (WLB), Derick Hall (SAM), Sunny Anderson (SAM)
- Last season's leader: Bobby Wagner (183 total tackles)
- NFL rank last season: 31st in rushing yards allowed (138.4 yards per game)
Once again, the Seahawks will be faced with a Wagner-sized hole among its linebacker corps. The Seahawks legend returned to the team for the 2023 season and led the National Football League (NFL) with 183 tackles because that's just the kind of thing Wagner can do at 33 years old.
Wagner joined the Washington Commanders in the offseason, however, leaving the Seahawks with the tall task of filling his role on and off the field. Jordyn Brooks, third on the team in tackles, left for the Miami Dolphins in the offseason too.
Enter Tyrel Dodson, the middle linebacker signed by the Seahawks to solidify the middle of the unit. Dodson, an undrafted free agent in 2019, began his career on the practice squad and incrementally increased his role on the Bills until he earned 10 starts last year.
The 25-year-old was Pro Football Focus' (PFF) third highest-graded linebacker with an 89.5 grade, including impressive marks against the run and pass. PFF named Dodson to its "All-Breakout Team" for the 2023 season.
Dodson will join a younger linebacker group in the post-Carroll era. There is more uncertainty in this core than in other defensive groups, but there is also untapped upside given their age.
Secondary
- Starter: Devon Witherspoon (cornerback), Riq Woolen (CB), Julian Love (free safety), Rayshawn Jenkins (strong safety)
- Depth chart: Tre Brown (CB), Lance Boykin (CB), Michael Jackson (CB), Artie Burns (CB), Coby Bryant (FS), Ty Okada (FS), K'Von Wallace (SS), Marquise Blair (SS)
- Last season's leader: Julian Love (four interceptions)
- NFL rank last season: 21st in passing yards allowed (233.0 yards per game)
The backbone of the Seahawks' secondary - Witherspoon, Woolen and Love - are all 26 years or younger, a throughline of an organizational philosophy that involves investing in the defense with young talent.
This hasn't necessarily resulted in on-field success (yet), but now the franchise is merging its philosophy with a head coach that values the defensive side of the ball. It could be a scary combination.
Last season's secondary was below-average from a passing yards allowed standpoint, but there's plenty of room for growth in 2024 as the younger players acclimate to the NFL.
Special teams
- Starters: Jason Myers (kicker), Michael Dickson (punter)
- Last season's leaders: Jason Myers (35 field goals); Michael Dickson (3,303 punting yards)
The Seahawks will return its same kicker and punting duo from 2023. Myers is coming off a down season in which he converted 83% of his field goals, down from 92% in 2022.
Dickson set a career-best mark with a 50.0-yard average on his punts last season. He did have 38% of his punts land inside the opponent's 20-yard line, an improvement from the previous campaign but still markedly down from his first four seasons with the Seahawks.