A Position-by-Position Breakdown of Who Has the Edge in Super Bowl LX

After combing through the Seahawks’ and Patriots’ rosters, one team comes out on top.

While Drake Maye garnered MVP consideration for his stellar regular season, Sam Darnold has had a solid postseason. | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Now that we’re nearing the end of the Super Bowl festivities, it’s time to get serious about the big game on Sunday between the Seahawks and Patriots.

We decided to take a close look at each team’s position groups to find out which side has the edge. It was tough to pick between Sam Darnold and Drake Maye. Does Darnold get the nod for having better postseason performances than an MVP finalist in New England?

The Seahawks and Patriots were neck and neck in most of the offensive categories. But the toughest decision was determining which secondary was better, with both teams featuring star cornerbacks in Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon. 

Let’s get to the results before we kick off at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif.

Quarterback

Notable players: Seahawks’ Sam Darnold; Patriots’ Drake Maye

If this were the regular season, Maye would have gotten the edge because of how sensational he was in his breakout campaign, which earned him plenty of MVP consideration. 

But Maye has struggled in his first postseason, while Darnold has gotten better throughout the year. Darnold’s impeccable timing with his receiving corps helped him carve up the Rams in the NFC title game, with a 346-yard, three-touchdown performance against a rival that had given him trouble in the past.

Sure, there’s an argument to be made that Maye had the harder path, facing the defenses of the Chargers, Texans and Broncos. But it won’t get any easier for the second-year quarterback against Seattle’s stellar defense. 

Darnold, the more seasoned quarterback, should be ready for whatever Mike Vrabel’s defense throws at him on Sunday. 

Edge: Seahawks

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Running back

Notable players: Patriots’ Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson; Seahawks’ Kenneth Walker III

It’s been a bit of a challenge for Vrabel and offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels to establish a productive rotation between Stevenson and Henderson, especially during the back half of the season, but that’s a good problem to have. 

Stevenson has more touches because his physical style has been the better option against the formidable defenses the Patriots have faced over the past month. But Henderson’s elite speed could throw off the Seahawks’ defense and perhaps lead to a game-changing explosive play. 

While the Patriots have more to offer, Walker might be the best running back from this trio of aforementioned players. He’s a rugged runner who can also make plays out of the backfield. Walker has taken off down the stretch, a welcome sight with Zach Charbonnet sustaining a season-ending knee injury a few weeks ago.

Edge: Patriots

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Jaxon Smith-Njigba amassed 10 touchdowns for Seattle this season. | Kevin Ng-Imagn Images

Wide receiver

Notable players: Seahawks’ Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Cooper Kupp, Rashid Shaheed; Patriots’ Stefon Diggs, Kayshon Boutte, Mack Hollins

This one is easy because Smith-Njigba is that good. He was the best wide receiver this season with a league-high 1,793 yards, along with 119 receptions and 10 touchdowns. 

But the Patriots’ receiving corps is deeper, with a solid five-man rotation between Diggs, Boutte, Hollins, DeMario Douglas and rookie Kyle Williams. Many didn’t expect Diggs to still be a No. 1 option in his age-32 season after sustaining a torn ACL with Houston last year. Teams have likely been kicking themselves for not jumping to sign Diggs, who had 85 catches for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns this season.

However, let’s not overlook Seattle’s depth. Kupp didn’t produce prolific numbers in his first year in Seattle, but he has stepped up in clutch moments. Also, Shaheed’s downfield speed has opened up the underneath game for Darnold and Smith-Njigba. 

Edge: Seahawks

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Tight end

Notable players: Patriots’ Hunter Henry; Seahawks’ AJ Barner, Elijah Arroyo

Henry has been a friendly target throughout his 10-year career, catching passes for Philip Rivers, Justin Herbert, Mac Jones and now Maye.

Maye often leaned on Henry early in the season as he continued to build chemistry with his receivers. Maye connected with Henry on critical third downs and in the red zone. Henry recorded 60 catches for 768 yards and seven touchdowns this season.

Darnold hasn’t targeted his tight ends as much as Maye, which is understandable with Smith-Njigba on his team, but he has relied on them for key moments. Barner has a friendly catch radius in the passing game and is a willing blocker in the running game. He has also been a playmaker in short-yardage situations, with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak trusting him to sneak the extra yard needed for a new set of downs.

Arroyo, the rookie second-round pick, flashed plenty of upside in the passing game and should see more snaps next season. 

Edge: Patriots

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Offensive line

Notable players: Seahawks’ Charles Cross, Grey Zabel; Patriots’ Will Campbell, Mike Onwenu 

After having one of the worst offensive lines last season, it seemed the Seahawks didn’t do enough to upgrade the unit before signing Darnold. 

But it all worked out because the starting tackles, Cross and Abraham Lucas, remained available for most of the season, and the first-round draft selection of Zabel gave the team another quality blocker. Zabel has started at left guard next to Cross, but his versatility could make him an option at center and tackle down the line. However, the Seahawks have seen subpar play at times from center Jalen Sundell and right guard Anthony Bradford.

For the Patriots, the 2025 No. 4 draft selection of Campbell provided the team a boost early in the season, but he hasn’t been the same since returning from a knee injury late in the regular season. Campbell has faced some of the league’s best edge rushers in these playoffs, and it won’t get any easier on Sunday.

New England has a strong right side with right tackle Morgan Moses and right guard Onwenu. But there have been ups and downs with rookie left guard Jared Wilson and veteran newcomer center Garrett Bradbury.

Edge: Seahawks

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Defensive line

Notable players: Patriots’ Milton Williams, Christian Barmore, Harold Landry III; Seahawks’ Leonard Williams, DeMarcus Lawrence, Byron Murphy II

It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that Milton and Leonard Williams were the best defensive tackles in 2025. 

Milton wasn’t an All-Pro selection like Williams, but he was instrumental in the Patriots’ turnaround this season and proved that his 2024 postseason run with the Eagles wasn’t a fluke. He’s now back in the Super Bowl after forming a dominant interior trio with Barmore and Khyiris Tonga.

It was about time that Williams was recognized as an All-Pro after years of being vastly underrated. He has taken his game to a new level since coach Mike Macdonald was hired in 2024. He’s the centerpiece in a loaded defensive front for Seattle, which includes Lawrence and second-year standout Murphy.

Edge: Seahawks

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Robert Spillane missed time at the end of the season due to an ankle injury. | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Inside linebacker

Notable players: Seahawks’ Ernest Jones IV; Patriots’ Robert Spillane

Perhaps Vrabel took notice of how aggressive Macdonald was in his first year, landing a stout middle linebacker. Macdonald wasn’t pleased with his linebacker production halfway through his first season in Seattle and traded with the Titans for Jones. He hasn’t looked back ever since, with Jones flourishing as a sideline-to-sideline playmaker and receiving a contract extension with the team in the offseason.

The Patriots made Spillane a free-agent priority, giving Vrabel his own field general in the 2025 revamped defense.

Edge: Seahawks

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Secondary

Notable players: Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez, Carlton Davis III, Marcus Jones; Seahawks’ Devon Witherspoon, Nick Emmanwori, Julian Love

Gonzalez and Witherspoon are two of the best at their position. The latter took off in his fourth season, earning second-team All-Pro honors for his elite versatility. The former is a true shutdown corner on the perimeter, providing the Patriots plenty of flexibility. Gonzalez was named a second-team All-Pro last season.

However, Emmanwori could soon challenge Witherspoon for the title of best defensive playmaker in Seattle. The stud rookie safety has a nose for the ball in coverage and as a downhill playmaker. 

The Seahawks get the edge here because of their depth and versatility. Macdonald has the luxury of having multiple chess pieces on the field.

Edge: Seahawks 

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Specialists

Notable players: Seahawks’ Jason Myers; Patriots’ Andy Borregales  

Seattle has one of the better special teams in the league, thanks to the contributions from coordinator Jay Harbaugh. The Seahawks have a reliable kicker in Myers and a dangerous returner in Shaheed. This aspect of the game could make all the difference if Super Bowl LX is close heading into the final quarter. 

Borregales, the 2025 sixth-round pick, quickly proved he was ready for clutch situations, making 27-of-32 field goals in his rookie year. Myers went 41-of-48 on his field-goal attempts in 2025. 

Edge: Seahawks 

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