Analysis: How Did Seahawks Safeties Perform in 2021?

While the season didn't go as planned for Seattle, Quandre Diggs continued to cement his status as one of the best free safeties in the NFL leading one of the team's best, deepest positional groups.

Author:
Corbin K. Smith
Publish date:
Jan 29, 2022 2:53 PM EST

Despite entering the 2021 season with championship aspirations, the Seahawks lost five of their first eight games and never fully recovered, finishing in last place in the NFC West with a 7-10 record.

Playing a key role in the defense's improvement as the year progressed, particularly when it came to defending the pass, Seattle once again received excellent production from its star-studded safety group led by Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams. The unit also illustrated impressive depth with Ryan Neal and journeyman Josh Jones playing well when called into starting duty late in the season.

Looking back at the season in retrospect, how did Seattle's safeties perform as a group in 2021? And what comes next at the position?

Quandre Diggs

2021 Stats: 94 tackles, five interceptions, two pass breakups

Overall Season Grade: A- (90.0)

What Went Right: Continuing to state his case as the best ball-hawking free safety in the NFL, Diggs finished with a team-best five interceptions for the second straight season, matching Broncos star Justin Simmons for the most picks by a safety in the past two seasons. Two of those picks came deep in enemy territory against former teammate Matthew Stafford in rivalry games versus the Rams. Adding a pair of pass breakups in coverage, per Pro Football Focus, he finished fifth among qualified safeties with 1,000 or more defensive snaps allowing a 77.9 passer rating in coverage. As has been the case for the better part of three seasons, opponents rarely tested the Seahawks down the seam or with post routes due to Diggs' presence in center field. He also remained one of Seattle's most capable tacklers, finishing third behind linebackers Jordyn Brooks and Bobby Wagner with a career-high 94 stops this season. Performing well in all facets, he garnered All-Pro votes for the first time in his career and was named to the PFWA All-NFC team.

What Went Wrong: While Diggs didn't make many mistakes in 2021 and rightfully earned his second straight Pro Bowl nod, he did allow a pair of touchdowns in coverage and his tackling technique occasionally lapsed on him, as evidenced by the 12 missed tackles charged to him by PFF. A fantastic season ended on a sour note when he suffered a dislocated ankle and fractured fibula during the fourth quarter of Seattle's Week 18 win in Arizona.

Closing Thoughts: Heading towards free agency, Diggs has been nothing short of spectacular since the Seahawks acquired him from the Lions midway through the 2019 season and deserves a lucrative long-term deal after the best season of his career. Now, the question is, especially coming off of a significant injury, will Seattle be the team to pay the price? Based on his production and importance to the team both on the field and in the locker room, re-signing him should be a top priority, even if that means using a franchise tag first to ensure he's back in 2022.

Jamal Adams

2021 Stats: 87 tackles, two interceptions, four tackles for loss

Overall Season Grade: B- (80.0)

What Went Right: Subject to much ridicule in regard to his coverage skills since arriving in Seattle, Adams deserves props for making notable strides in that area of his game in his second season with the team. Per Pro Football Focus, opposing quarterbacks completed just 57.8 percent of their passes and posted a pedestrian 69.9 passer rating when targeting him in coverage. While he did give up a pair of touchdowns, he also picked off Aaron Rodgers and Taylor Heinicke in a three-game span. On top of his improvements in coverage, Adams remained a reliable asset defending the run, producing nearly 90 tackles and four tackles for loss in just 12 games while receiving a stellar 77.3 grade from PFF in that department.

What Went Wrong: After setting an NFL record with 9.5 sacks as a defensive back in 2020, the Seahawks didn't send Adams after opposing quarterbacks near as frequently on the blitz. Per PFF, he blitzed on just 5.8 percent of his defensive plays after being sent 13.2 percent of the time in 2020. As a result, the self-proclaimed unicorn didn't produce a single sack and had just two quarterback hits on 51 pass rush attempts. Creating further questions about his long-term durability as an undersized box safety, Adams suffered a season-ending torn labrum and underwent shoulder surgery for the season straight offseason.

Closing Thoughts: Adams' second year with the Seahawks truly was a mixed bag. On one hand, the coaching staff deserves a ton of credit for maximizing his strengths in coverage by implementing more two-deep coverages, including Cover 6. The player responded favorably to these schematic changes. But his lack of pass rushing production calls into question again whether or not Seattle knows how to best utilize a unique player of Adams' caliber, which obviously isn't good considering what they gave up to acquire him. After handing him a record-setting contract in August, the franchise needs elite production from him in what will be a critical third season for all parties involved.

Ryan Neal

2021 Stats: 49 tackles, 1.0 sacks, three pass breakups

Overall Season Grade: C (74.0)

What Went Right: Once again stepping up when the Seahawks needed him to replace Adams in the lineup, Neal provided invaluable contributions down the stretch. Starting four of the final five games at strong safety, per Pro Football Focus, he recorded 16 tackles, a quarterback hit, and eight defensive stops. Prior to that point, Neal excelled as a situational sub-package defender, often checking into the lineup as part of Seattle's dime set with six defensive backs on the field. In limited action, he produced three pressures on just 18 blitz attempts, generating a sack and a pair of quarterback hits. He also remained a key cog on special teams, logging 288 snaps and producing three tackles in the third phase of the game.

What Went Wrong: After emerging as an unsung hero in his first full season with the Seahawks, Neal's play was a bit more erratic in 2021. Despite being targeted only 29 times, he gave up a 75.9 percent completion rate and three touchdowns without creating any turnovers in coverage. Opposing passers posted a 139.0 passer rating when targeting him, nearly 50 points higher than the previous season. Missed tackles continued to be a significant issue as well, including a pair of crucial misses on Saints running back Alvin Kamara in a 13-10 loss in Week 7.

Closing Thoughts: Although Neal didn't have the ball production in 2021 that he did during the previous season and took a step back in coverage overall, he still did a stellar job filling in for Adams when called upon and Seattle's defense performed well when he took the field in sub packages. He remains a valuable asset as a reserve safety and core special teams player. As an exclusive rights free agent, he should be back for another season with the organization in 2022.

Marquise Blair

2021 Stats: Nine tackles, two pass breakups

Overall Season Grade: C- (71.0)

What Went Right: Rebounding tremendously from a torn ACL, Blair proved he was fully healthy by returning a fumble for a touchdown in Seattle's preseason finale and opened the year splitting time with Ugo Amadi at slot cornerback. Although the third-year defender allowed a 70 percent completion rate in coverage, he didn't yield any touchdowns, allowed under 10 yards per reception, and produced pass breakups on 20 percent of his targets.

What Went Wrong: Before going down with a severe knee injury for the second straight season, Blair struggled to finish as a tackler, missing three tackles and posting a missed tackle rate just short of 30 percent per Pro Football Focus. One week before fracturing his kneecap, he committed a crucial roughing the passer penalty that prolonged the game-winning drive for the visiting Saints late in regulation, continuing a trend of untimely mental miscues dating back to his time at Utah.

Closing Thoughts: When Seattle drafted Blair in 2019, the organization hoped he would quickly become the starting free safety. However, he wasn't ready for that role out of the gate, leading to the trade for Diggs at midseason. Since then, while he's flashed when healthy, two significant knee injuries put his future with the team in question. Assuming he fully recovers from his latest setback, he will likely compete at nickel cornerback again entering the final year of his rookie deal.

Seahawks 2021 Positional Report Cards

Quarterback

Running Back

Receiver

Tight End

Offensive Tackle

Guard/Center - Coming Soon

Defensive Tackle

Defensive End

Linebacker

Cornerback

Specialists - Coming Soon