Seahawks 2021 Awards: Most Valuable Player

Amid a difficult seven-win season in which the team finished last in the NFC West and missed the postseason, which players proved to be most valuable for the Seahawks in 2021?

Following a 38-30 win over the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium, the Seahawks have officially transitioned into offseason mode after a disappointing 7-10 campaign.

While the franchise didn't live up to lofty expectations coming off of an NFC West title and a 12-win season in 2020, several players still starred in all three phases for Seattle. Over the next two weeks, the Seahawk Maven writing staff will be naming their selections for end of season awards, including player of the year, most improved, assistant coach of the year, and many more.

To kickstart the festivities, who deserves the honor of Most Valuable Seahawk in 2021? After much debate, our panel makes their picks:

Quandre Diggs

Corbin Smith: Even though Diggs has been named to the Pro Bowl each of the past two seasons, it still feels like the ball-hawking free safety hasn't received the recognition he truly deserves. Earlier this season, he became the first player in the NFL to record at least three interceptions in each of the past five seasons, showcasing his remarkable consistency and reliability. He once again led the team with five picks this year while amassing a career-high 94 tackles and a pair of pass breakups. He's picked off every starting quarterback in the NFC West, including former teammate and friend Matthew Stafford. Opponents rarely test the Seahawks with post and seam routes for a reason and when considering his leadership skills on the field and in the locker room, no player proved to be more valuable for the team this season.

Colby Patnode: Diggs followed up his first Pro Bowl with another incredible season that worthy of All-Pro consideration. The veteran safety finished the year with 94 total tackles, seven passes defensed, and five interceptions while anchoring a vastly improved defensive secondary. He's also a highly important piece of the culture puzzle in the locker room, as evidenced by how teammates reacted to his fractured fibula in the finale. There may not be a more important action this offseason for Seattle than finding a way to keep Diggs around, and he’ll have earned every penny he’s going to get after his MVP performance.

Tyler Lockett

Ty Gonzalez: Overshadowed by the season-long struggles of Seattle’s offense, Tyler Lockett was arguably at his very best in 2021. He posted career-highs in receiving yards (1,175) and yards per route (2.35), and ranked fifth among NFL receivers in yards per reception (16.1), seventh in EPA per target (0.49) and landed in a four-way tie with Deebo Samuel, Ja’Marr Chase, and Chris Godwin for the fourth-most 100-yard games (5) during the regular season. Had Russell Wilson remained healthy for the entire campaign, it’s hard not to wonder what Lockett, who went relatively quiet in his quarterback’s absence, could have accomplished in an already spectacular individual run.

Nick Lee: Even with three straight 1,000-yard seasons on his resume now, Lockett continues to be one of the most underappreciated receivers in the league. Despite the offense going through lulls with the injury to Russell Wilson and otherwise sputtering, Lockett put together arguably his best season in Seattle. He set a career high with 1,175 receiving yards, becoming just the seventh player in franchise history to surpass 1,100 yards in a season, along with scoring eight touchdowns. He was the most consistent and productive part of Seattle's offense, even excelling when the offense was underperforming most of the season.

D.J. Reed

Rishi Rastogi: From training camp to the final game of the 2021 season, the Seahawks cornerback room endured many shakeups. However, amid all the chaos and confusion, the Seahawks were once again able to rely on cornerback DJ Reed as a consistent anchor to a steadily improving defense. Though he struggled early in the season playing on the left side, once the team shifted him back to the right side where he's most comfortable, he thrived. In the final four games of the season, Reed finished as PFF’s top cornerback with a 92.0 overall grade. He also started in 14 of 17 games and forced career-best rates with a 47.7 percent completion percentage and a 67.8 opposing passer rating against in coverage.