Analysis: Assessing Seahawks' Defensive Depth Chart Following 2022 NFL Draft

Moving into the next stage of the offseason program with less than three months until the start of training camp, how does Seattle's roster look on the defensive side of the football following free agency and the annual NFL draft?

After adding nine new players in the 2022 NFL Draft, the Seahawks officially transitioned into phase two of their offseason program with rookie minicamp taking place last weekend and organized team activities and mandatory minicamp both coming in the near future.

With the draft now in the rearview mirror, general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll always will be on the lookout for ways to improve his team and plenty of quality free agents remain available to sign. But barring an unforeseen trade and/or unexpected frenzy signing veterans, Seattle's 90-man roster as constructed likely won't undergo any significant changes between now and the start of training camp in late July.

Keeping that assumption in mind while examining the current depth chart, which positions should the Seahawks feel good about? And which ones remain potential concerns progressing towards the start of the season?

As the franchise transitions into the post-Bobby Wagner era, here's a close look at all six position groups on the defensive side of the ball with additions, departures, and an overall position grade:

EDGE/Outside Linebackers

Additions: Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe, Tyreke Smith

Departures: Carlos Dunlap, Benson Mayowa

Essential to a successful transition towards a 3-4 defense, the Seahawks made substantial changes at the EDGE positions through free agency and the draft, starting with the decision to sign Nwosu to a two-year contract. Only 25 years old, the athletic, versatile linebacker posted career-bests with 5.0 sacks and 40 pressures for the Chargers last season and should thrive playing across from Taylor, who enjoyed a stellar pseudo-rookie season with 6.5 sacks and 34 pressures. Those two could grow into a dynamic tandem in time.

However, Seattle wasn't done adding athleticism, youth, and upside to the position group. Hitting the pass rush hard during the draft, Schneider landed immensely gifted Minnesota defender Boye Mafe, who possesses excellent size (6-foot-3, 261 pounds) and physical traits (4.53 40-yard dash, 38-inch vertical), in the second round. He then double-dipped by staying in the Big Ten by choosing the disruptive Smith in the fifth round, giving the team two intriguing youngsters who should be able to contribute right away and could develop into starters.

Beyond Mafe and Smith, the Seahawks will also welcome back third-year defender Alton Robinson, who has flashed in brief spurts during his first two NFL seasons. At 270 pounds, he will bring a bit more size to the position but has enough athleticism to be able to occasionally drop into coverage and could be a bigger factor in nickel and dime sets when the team rushes four.

Position Grade: B

Defensive Ends

Additions: Shelby Harris, Quinton Jefferson

Departures: Kerry Hyder, Rasheem Green

As part of their scheme modifications under new coordinator Clint Hurtt, Seattle will be deploying bigger 3-4 defensive ends that function more like defensive tackles lining up in 3-tech and 4i-tech alignments. To help with those personnel needs, the team released Hyder and let Green walk, replacing them by bringing back Jefferson on a two-year deal and acquiring the criminally-underrated Harris as part of the Russell Wilson trade with Denver. Both players bring excellent size at north of 290 pounds and generate consistent interior disruption as rushers, as each of them has produced at least 25 pressures apiece each of the past three seasons.

While depth may look shaky behind Jefferson and Harris with only former first-round pick L.J. Collier currently under contract as a defensive end, the Seahawks will slide defensive tackles Poona Ford and Al Woods out to wider alignments on early downs. When they revert to four-man fronts with traditional defensive ends, Taylor, Nwosu, Mafe, Smith, and Robinson can all rush either from two or three-point stances out wide and create havoc while having enough size to hold up against the run. Hurtt should have no shortage of options with different skill sets to mix and match along the front line.

From a deep sleepers standpoint, Myles Adams and Jarrod Hewitt will both be back after spending the bulk of the 2021 season on Seattle's practice squad. While neither was a great fit for a 4-3 scheme, both players offer quality athletic profiles as 3-4 defensive ends and could be worth monitoring in training camp and preseason.

Position Grade: B-

Defensive Tackles

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Additions: Matt Gotel

Departures: None

While the Seahawks reportedly had interest in Georgia's Jordan Davis heading into last month's draft and may have strongly considered picking him if they traded down from No. 9 overall, they didn't make any notable changes at the defensive tackle position this offseason. Ford will return for a fifth season hoping to finally take the next step as an interior pass rusher after setting a career-high with 33 pressures in 2021, while the 35-year old Woods will aim to replicate one of the most productive seasons of his career manning the nose tackle spot and seeing some action slid out to big end.

Depth-wise, Bryan Mone has developed into a quality reserve and actually started five games last season. The 345-pound nose generated 35 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and three quarterback hits, giving the team quality snaps behind Ford and Woods all year long. Myles Adams played well in two games promoted from the practice squad and may actually benefit from the switch to a 3-4 defense. He, Jarred Hewitt, and undrafted rookie Matt Gotel likely will be vying for, at most, one roster spot with three battle-tested veterans firmly entrenched in front of them. Jefferson and Harris could play inside in pass rushing situations, making the need for a fourth defensive tackle less of a priority.

Position Grade: B+

Inside Linebackers

Additions: Joel Iyiegbuniwe, Vi Jones

Departures: Bobby Wagner

Weeks after releasing Wagner as a cost-cutting measure, many expected the Seahawks to select a potential successor in the draft. But instead, the organization gave another vote of confidence for fourth-year defender Cody Barton, who played well in Wagner's absence late last season and will have the first legitimate chance to start in his career when camp opens in July. The rangy linebacker will likely be the Week 1 starter alongside Jordyn Brooks, who set a franchise record with 184 tackles in 2021 and looks poised for stardom heading into his third season.

After choosing not to use one of their nine selections in the draft on an off-ball linebacker, Seattle does have some potential question marks behind Brooks and Barton. Ben Burr-Kirven and Jon Rhattigan both suffered torn ACLs last season and while the former should be good to go for training camp, the latter may not re-join the team until later in the season after suffering his injury last December. In free agency, the team did add Joel Iyiegbuniwe, who will reunite with associate head coach Sean Desai after they spent the past four years together in Chicago. It's possible he could push Barton for playing time, but most likely, he will be a core special teams contributor.

As far as wild cards go, Carroll gushed about undrafted rookie Vi Jones after the conclusion of rookie minicamp, lauding the 225-pound defender for his athleticism and versatility. Boasting 4.52 40-yard dash speed and long 33-inch arms, he has a chance to be an impact special teamer on day one and if he takes to coaching, could be a future running mate with Brooks. Tanner Muse and Aaron Donkor will also be back after spending last season on the practice squad.

Position Grade: B-

Cornerbacks

Additions: Artie Burns, Coby Bryant, Tariq Woolen, Justin Coleman, Josh Turner

Departures: D.J. Reed, Bless Austin, Gavin Heslop

Aside from Wilson and Wagner, an argument can be made D.J. Reed's exit to join the New York Jets in free agency may be the biggest loss the Seahawks suffered this spring. The 25-year old corner truly came into his own after the team claimed him off waivers from the 49ers two seasons ago and brought much-needed stability to a position that has lacked it since the end of the "Legion of Boom." Without him, there are plenty of question marks on the outside.

With that said, Seattle did bring back Sidney Jones, who proved to be a successful reclamation story coming back to his old stomping grounds. The ex-Washington standout should be penciled in as a starter and an intense competition should be brewing for the other outside corner spot as well as the nickel role. If fully recovered from a patellar tendon injury, Tre Brown could be the front-runner to start across from Jones, while Artie Burns played well late last season for Chicago with Desai as the defensive coordinator. Those two veterans will be pushed by fourth-round pick Coby Bryant, the reigning Jim Thorpe Award winner at Cincinnati.

While he's unlikely to vie for a starting job as a rookie, Tariq Woolen may be the most intriguing player in this position group due to his unicorn-worthy athletic gifts and immense potential. If Carroll can get him to buy into his teachings quickly, he could develop in rapid fashion and it's not out of the question he could position himself for snaps late in the season. But for now, expect him to cut his teeth on special teams while he continues to harness his craft in the secondary.

As for the slot, Coleman's return after three seasons with the Lions and Dolphins provides Carroll with a proven commodity at the position. But the veteran will have to earn his job and the duo of Marquise Blair and Ugo Amadi will make the competition an interesting one in August. It's possible the Seahawks could do some mixing and matching at the position depending on opponent or sub-package with the bigger Blair being a better matchup for tight ends, Coleman excelling against speedy slot receivers, and Amadi being a solid blitzer and zone coverage defender.

Position Grade: C+

Safeties

Additions: Bubba Bolden, Joey Blount, Scott Nelson, Deontai Williams

Departures: Nigel Warrior

Though both players are currently working back from offseason surgeries, the Seahawks made a pair of major commitments in their secondary over the past calendar year by locking up Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams through the 2024 season. While Adams' play has been inconsistent in two seasons with the team, the arrival of Desai coupled with Hurtt's promotion should give him the best chance to succeed in a scheme that maximizes on his strengths. As for Diggs, he's been one of the NFL's best free safeties since coming to Seattle in 2019 and should be fully recovered from a fractured fibula well before the start of camp.

In the short-term, there may not be a team in the NFL with better depth at safety than Seattle either. Ryan Neal has been a revelation over the past two years while starting nine games in place of Adams and contributing as a situational defender and special teamer. Amadi and Blair can each play both safety spots in a pinch as well and could be utilized in dime packages as a sixth defensive back. The team also recently re-signed veteran Josh Jones, who played well in four games late last season.

But with Neal, Amadi, and Blair all entering the final year of their respective contracts, the Seahawks also have an eye towards the future at the position and signed a quartet of intriguing undrafted rookies for evaluation. Headlining this group of UDFAs, Miami's Bubba Bolden looks the part of an NFL strong safety at 6-foot-2, 209 pounds and brings a hard-hitting, physical playing style to the equation. Virginia's Joey Blount offers solid range and ball skills as a free safety with sub-4.45 speed and could be a name worth watching as well. If one or two players from that group impress, the organization could opt to keep a rookie with several years of cheap club control over a veteran soon to hit free agency.

Position Grade: A-