How Do Seahawks' Defensive Position Groups Stack Up Against NFC West?

Returning plenty of talent on defense while also adding some intriguing young pieces at multiple positions, Seattle has high expectations on the defensive side of the ball. But how does the roster compare to NFC West foes?

Undergoing transformational changes on their roster and coaching staff over the past five months, including trading franchise quarterback Russell Wilson to the Broncos, the Seahawks will look drastically different in 2022.

With the offseason now wrapped up and rosters largely set in stone for the start of training camps across the NFL later this month, how do Seattle's defensive positional groups stack up against the rest of the rugged NFC West division?

EDGE/Outside Linebackers: 3rd

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As has been the case for the past several seasons, the NFC West remains loaded with talented edge rushers and San Francisco leads the way. Down by the bay, the 49ers picked up Nick Bosa's fifth-year option and the former No. 2 overall pick out of Ohio State rebounded from a torn ACL to rack up 15.5 sacks and 32 quarterback hits in 2021. Across from him, Arik Armstead continued to be productive with 6.0 sacks and 11 quarterback hits while being stout against the run. The group also features quality backups in Dee Ford, Samson Ebukam, and incoming rookie Drake Jackson.

Right behind them, the Rams don't have the star power off the edge that the 49ers do after losing Von Miller in free agency and they will need to see great growth from Terrell Lewis and Justin Hollins to help offset that departure. Still, Leonard Floyd's career revival has continued in Los Angeles, as he finished with 9.5 sacks last season and has averaged double digit sacks in two seasons with the franchise. With the talent they have in the interior, the Rams should still have an effective edge rush even without big names.

The Seahawks have several intriguing young rushers who could thrive in coordinator Clint Hurtt's 3-4 scheme, but there are plenty of unknowns. Darrell Taylor enjoyed a stellar pseudo-rookie season with 6.5 sacks and enters the 2022 season with lofty expectations, while free agent signee Uchenna Nwosu will look to build off a solid final season with the Chargers and add more bite to the pass rush. Second-round pick Boye Mafe should be viewed as the ultimate X-factor, as he possesses a great set of physical and athletic tools. If he carves out an immediate role hunting down quarterbacks, this group could vault up the rankings quickly.

If there's a team that took a big step back in the edge rushing department, the Cardinals take the cake. While they still have Markus Golden, who led them with 11.0 sacks last season, long-time star Chandler Jones bolted for Las Vegas in free agency and they don't have another defensive end or outside linebacker on the roster who had more than 4.0 sacks last year. If rookie Cameron Thomas can step in and contribute quickly, the outlook may be a bit better in the desert.

Defensive Tackles: 2nd

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On a roster loaded with star power across the board, Aaron Donald remains the best defender in the NFL anchoring a dominant interior defensive line for the Rams. Showing no signs of slowing down, he led the team with 12.5 sacks last year and earned his seventh consecutive First-Team All-Pro selection. While losing Sebastian Joseph-Day in free agency may sting a bit, former Washington standout Greg Gaines produced 4.5 sacks in an excellent third season and A'Shawn Robinson proved to be an immovable object in the run game, so they have no shortage of proven talent to go with the all-time great.

Unfortunately for the Seahawks, they don't have their own version of Donald. But on the flip side, they have superb depth in the interior with five starter-caliber defensive tackles on their roster. Poona Ford amassed a career-high 33 quarterback pressures and continues to be a plus-run defender, Al Woods enjoyed a career year at 34 years young, and Bryan Mone set career-bests in tackles and sacks a year ago. All three players will be back anchoring a top-five run defense and newcomer Shelby Harris should bolster the pass rush after amassing at least 5.0 sacks in three of the past five seasons. The return of Quinton Jefferson, who had 50 quarterback pressures last year with the Raiders, further solidifies a talented group.

Looking at the other two NFC West squads, there's a significant drop off in talent and depth at defensive tackle. While they still believe he will become an impact player, the 49ers haven't received the production from former first-round pick Javon Kinlaw they hoped for in his first two seasons, while the departure of D.J. Jones in free agency could be difficult to replace. As for the Cardinals, J.J. Watt can still play at a high level, but injuries have been a persistent problem for him and away from Zach Allen and nose tackle Leki Fotu, they don't have many proven assets in the trenches.

Linebackers: 3rd

For nearly a decade, the Seahawks annually sat atop this list with perennial All-Pro Bobby Wagner and unheralded star K.J. Wright anchoring their linebacker corps. But both players have now moved on, with Wagner heading to the Rams to team up with rising youngster Ernest Jones and Wright remaining an unsigned free agent. Putting that duo on a defense already featuring several other superstars will only make the defending champions that much better as they try to repeat in 2022 and even with Wagner's play declining, they sit first in this ranking by a slim margin.

Coming in a close second, the 49ers have the best linebacker in the NFC West in Fred Warner, who has produced over 100 tackles in each of his four NFL seasons. Last season wasn't his best one from a statistics perspective, but he still set a new career-high in tackles and recovered three fumbles. Away from Warner, San Francisco has some serious question marks, though a healthy return from Dre Greenlaw would go a long way towards solidifying the group after he missed all but three games in 2021. He produced at least 86 tackles in each of his first two seasons.

In Wagner and Wright's absence, Jordyn Brooks looks poised to emerge as an All-Pro caliber talent in his own right for Seattle, while Cody Barton will finally get a chance to show what he can do as an every down defender after primarily playing special teams his first three seasons. If Brooks can live up to the hype after setting a new franchise record in tackles in 2021 and Barton's stellar play from late last season carries over as a full-time starter, the Seahawks shouldn't see too much of a drop off without Wagner in the middle.

Over the past two years, Arizona has invested an immense amount of draft capital into the linebacker position, using first-round picks on Isaiah Simmons and Zaven Collins. But to this point, neither player has been overly productive, though Simmons did eclipse 100 tackles and forced four fumbles last season while starting all 17 games. Collins mostly contributed on special teams as a rookie with 25 tackles and will need to step up after veteran Jordan Hicks left in free agency to sign with the Vikings in March.

Cornerbacks: 3rd

Much like at defensive tackle and linebacker, the Rams once again come in first at the cornerback spot due to the presence of an All-Pro talent in Jalen Ramsey, who produced four interceptions and 12 pass breakups in another dominant season. Losing Darious Williams to the Jaguars in free agency could potentially be a major departure, but the organization remains high on David Long Jr. and Robert Rochell, who started five games as a rookie and may be primed for a year two breakout. Getting Troy Hill back in free agency may be the shrewdest move the franchise made this spring and he will likely play the slot.

There's a steep drop off in talent at cornerback for the rest of the NFC West, but the Cardinals do have a rising star in Byron Murphy. The former Washington standout enjoyed a breakthrough 2021 season, setting career-highs with four interceptions and returning one of them for a touchdown. Capable of playing on the outside or in the slot, he's set himself up nicely for a big pay day. Arizona should also be excited about the potential of second-year defender Marco Wilson, who started 13 games on the outside as a rookie after being drafted in the fourth round out of Florida.

If the Seahawks would have retained veteran D.J. Reed in free agency, they likely would have been higher on this list. But the team didn't bring him back and aside from Sidney Jones and Artie Burns, they lack much starting experience on the roster at the position. With that said, Tre Brown played well in five games as a rookie before suffering a patellar tendon injury and incoming rookies Coby Bryant and Tariq Woolen could be long-term starters in waiting. The return of Justin Coleman should also improve the slot competition. The future may be bright for Seattle, but it's tough to project how the group will perform in the present, which is why they come in third right now.

Seeking an upgrade, the 49ers signed Charvarious Ward away from the Chiefs in free agency after he picked off two passes and recorded eight pass breakups in 2021. Ward will play across from Emmanuel Moseley, who battled through injuries last year and has been a starter in the secondary for large portions of the past three seasons with mixed results. The talented Jason Verrett may also be in the mix, but he's coming off yet another severe lower body injury and should be viewed as a wild card at best. In the slot, veteran Darqueze Dennard will get the first crack at the job after barely playing for the Giants and 49ers last year.

Safeties: 1st

Since being acquired from the Jets for two first-round picks prior to the 2020 season, Jamal Adams hasn't necessarily played up to expectations and he has battled through several injuries, undergoing two shoulder surgeries in the process. Still, he broke the NFL record for sacks by a defensive back two years ago and he seemed to be finding his groove in coverage before suffering his latest shoulder injury last November. Teaming him up with Quandre Diggs, who led the team with five interceptions and earned his second straight Pro Bowl nod, along with reserves Ryan Neal and Marquise Blair gives the Seahawks the most talented safety group in the division.

Not far behind Seattle, Arizona's safety group stacks up well against the rest of the NFL. Making his third straight Pro Bowl and earning Second-Team All-Pro honors, Budda Baker intercepted a career-high three passes and nearly hit 100 tackles for a third consecutive season. At the other safety spot, Jalen Thompson enjoyed the best season of his career thus far, racking up 121 tackles, three interceptions, and four pass breakups while starting 12 games. Lack of depth behind them could be a concern, as Deionte Thompson hasn't offered much in three seasons since being picked out of Alabama.

Over the past few years, the Rams have lost several high-profile safeties, with Eric Weddle retiring and John Johnson bolting for the Browns in free agency. But despite those departures, several young talents have stepped up admirably in their place. Already a sixth-round steal, Jordan Fuller may be a Pro Bowler in waiting after amassing 173 tackles and four interceptions in two seasons as a starter. Taylor Rapp took a big step forward in his third season as well, registering 94 tackles and a career-best four interceptions, while Nick Scott provides quality depth behind them.

Taking up the rear, the 49ers lack the star power at safety of the other three NFC West teams, though they do have a reliable veteran in Jimmie Ward, who has rebounded from a tough start to his career with three solid seasons since 2019. In that span, he registered 218 tackles, two interceptions, and 16 pass breakups while starting 43 games total. After moving on from Jaquiski Tartt this offseason, they are rolling the dice with Talanoa Hufanga taking over as the full-time starter in his place. As a rookie, he started three games and contributed 32 tackles and two pass breakups.

Punter: 1st

Somehow, Michael Dickson failed to earn Pro Bowl or All-Pro distinction for the third consecutive season. But statistically, the Seahawks punter continues to stand out as one of the best in the NFL and he's head and shoulders above his peers in the NFC West. He led the league with 40 punts downed inside the opposing 20-yard line and had the second-highest percentage of punts down inside the 20 as well. He's as effective at flipping the field as any punter in the game and deserves more respect than he receives.

Coming out of Utah in 2019, the 49ers thought they had landed their own version of Dickson by drafting Mitch Wishnowsky. While he's been solid in three NFL seasons, however, he hasn't met those lofty expectations. In 2021, he ranked 19th in punts down inside the opposing 20-yard line, finishing in the middle of the league with 38 percent of his punts pinned inside the opposing 20. On the plus side, he did finish sixth in net yards per punt, which secures second-best in the NFC West.

Moving on from Johnny Hekker, a four-time First-Team All-Pro selection, the Rams opted to get younger by signing former Giants punter Riley Dixon. Last year, the two players had very similar numbers, with Dixon pinning opponents inside the 20-yard line 24 times and Hekker accomplishing the task 23 times. But Dixon wasn't near as efficient flipping the field, with only 32 percent of his punts being downed inside the 20 compared to Hekker's 43 percent. That's a steep drop off that could make a negative difference on special teams this year in the name of saving a few pennies.

Now entering his 19th NFL season, Andy Lee has been one of the best punters in the league for a long time. However, he's well beyond his prime and didn't perform well for the Cardinals last season. He only had 12 punts downed inside the opposing 20 on 51 punts, a dreadful 23 percent rate. He also ranked near the bottom of the league with only eight punts that were fair caught. He's had a fantastic career, but at this stage, he's the worst punter in the division.