Seahawks 2022 Training Camp Preview: Will Reinforced Pass Rush Wreak Havoc in New Scheme?
Less than 24 hours after capping off an otherwise disappointing season in victorious fashion with a 38-30 win over the Cardinals in Arizona, Seahawks coach Pete Carroll wasn't secretive about the area where he felt his team needed to make the biggest jump during the upcoming offseason.
Even after sacking quarterback Kyler Murray five times in the season finale and finishing on a strong note, Carroll didn't mince words in regard to the need to fortify the front line defensively and generate more consistent pressure as a group.
"We need to improve our pass rush. That is an area that we need to get better in," Carroll told reporters. "You saw how dynamic it is when you get going like we did yesterday, but we didn’t have that consistency and that is the important part of it. So many things feed off of that, it is the disruption of the quarterback that leads to all of the issues on the positive side for the defense, so we have to, whatever we can do, we have to work there. That’s one of the focal points for me."
Despite returning most of their defensive line from the following season - including Carlos Dunlap - and adding a few quality veterans to the mix in free agency, Seattle struggled to turn up the heat on opposing quarterbacks and fell well short of expectations. According to TruMedia, the team finished 29th in the NFL in pressure percentage (4.7 percent) and 22nd in sacks (34), ranking in the bottom third in each category. Pro Football Focus graded Carroll's squad 30th overall rushing the passer (63.5) as a team, ahead of only Denver and Atlanta.
Individually, per PFF, not a single Seahawk defender finished with more than 36 quarterback pressures for the entire 2021 season. Second-year linebacker Darrell Taylor finished 77th in the league and led the team, while Dunlap was the only player who posted a pass rush win rate above 15 percent, further illustrating the pass rushing woes that plagued Carroll's defense most of the season.
Looking to remedy a problem that has persistently hindered Seattle's defense for the better part of the past four years, Carroll went back to the drawing board, starting with his coaching staff. Not long after the final media session with reporters in mid-January, he relieved defensive coordinator Ken Norton Jr. and pass game coordinator Andre Curtis of their respective duties.
In their place, Carroll elevated respected defensive line coach Clint Hurtt into Norton's stead and former Alabama assistant Karl Scott took over Curtis' former role in the secondary. Additionally, after considering him as a candidate for defensive coordinator, he lured long-time Bears assistant Sean Desai to join the staff as an associate head coach.
"Clint [Hurtt] was a big part of that hiring, and also a big part of attracting Sean [Desai] to us," Carroll said of the coaching staff changes at the NFL combine. "He was very, very much sought after by a number of clubs. He had all kinds of interviews, he was all over the place, and we were fortunate to get him. We put him in a position where he has a good deal of influence scheme-wise, tactically, and in all ways. And so, I really like that combination. Those two guys together will give us a great one-two punch."
By promoting Hurtt from within and teaming him back up with Desai, who previously worked alongside him on Vic Fangio's staff in Chicago for three seasons, Carroll desires a more aggressive defense with schematic diversity moving forward. In turn, he hopes to see the dormant pass rush improve by default.
With Hurtt at the wheel and Desai advising from the passenger seat, the Seahawks are expected to transition towards more 3-4 "odd" looks with three down defensive linemen and two overhanging hybrid linebackers. Understanding their personnel needed to be altered to run such a Fangio-style scheme, general manager John Schneider, Carroll, and the rest of the coaching staff went to work seeking younger, more athletic edge defenders better catered for the system.
Days before the start of free agency in March, Seattle released Dunlap, Kerry Hyder, and Benson Mayowa, jettisoning the three veterans in cost-cutting measures. Looking for an explosive running mate to link up with Taylor, Schneider adjusted his prior approach in free agency by signing former Chargers linebacker Uchenna Nwosu to a two-year deal.
Only 25 years old, Nwosu took advantage of his first opportunity to start full time and turned in a career year in coach Brandon Staley's defense in 2021, producing a personal best 5.0 sacks, 40 quarterback pressures, and two forced fumbles. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the ex-USC standout finished 15th in the league in pressure rate (12.9 percent) among defenders with at least 300 pass rushing attempts.
Thriving in a scheme similar to the one Hurtt will be deploying in Seattle, the respected assistant told reporters during mandatory minicamp that Nwosu's familiarity playing in a 3-4 defense has helped his new teammates get acclimated while learning a new system.
"Smart, tough, dependable. You get a whole team of those guys, you're going to always be in contention and he's definitely that," Hurtt said. "Having some familiarity with the system, coming from the Chargers, has definitely helped out and it's been a big help to the other outside backers in the room, so he's done really, really well. Exciting that we have him.”
Possessing quality burst at 251 pounds, Nwosu ran a 4.65 40-yard dash at the 2018 NFL combine and uses that speed coupled with unexpected power and physicality to win off the edge. His athleticism also plays well in coverage, as he's comfortable defending running backs and tight ends and registered eight pass deflections along with an interception in his first four NFL seasons.
Seeking further reinforcements to pair with Taylor and Nwosu, the Seahawks used the first of consecutive second-round picks in the 2022 NFL Draft to snag uber-athletic Minnesota pass rusher Boye Mafe. A bit of a late bloomer, he finished his collegiate career producing 7.0 sacks and 10 tackles for loss as a senior while starring for a stout Golden Gophers defense and earning Second-Team All-Big Ten honors.
After tearing it up at the Senior Bowl in Mobile and recording 2.0 sacks and a forced fumble in the all-star showcase, Mafe lit it up at the scouting combine in Indianapolis, running a blazing 4.53 second 40-yard dash and jumping 37 inches vertically at 261 pounds. Shortly after, Seattle brought him in for an official top-30 pre-draft visit and he emerged as a personal favorite of Hurtt's, leading to his selection in April.
“Really a big explosive athlete. Very twitchy for a big man," Hurtt said during Seattle's minicamp in June. "I don't think he's done growing. I think he's going to keep getting bigger. But just long and athletic, really, really smart, sharp kid, communicates early really well, which we anticipated. We brought him in here on a visit before the draft and he really impressed us with how sharp he was. He's grasping everything within the system really, really good."
Despite mostly playing out of a two-point stance at Minnesota, Mafe enters the NFL needing plenty of polish technique-wise, particularly as a run defender, before he can develop into a starter-caliber player. But he has ample experience playing in coverage and with his immense physical gifts that Carroll compared favorably to former starter Cliff Avril, Seattle will be banking on him making an immediate impact as a rotational rusher behind Taylor and Nwosu.
Along with signing Nwosu and selecting Mafe, the Seahawks also used a fifth-round pick on Ohio State's Tyreke Smith, who will have a chance to also vie for a reserve role. His top competition will come in the form of returning third-year defender Alton Robinson, who has registered 44 tackles and 5.0 sacks in his first two seasons. Both players will have some adjustments to make after playing traditional 4-3 defensive end roles at the college level.
Examining the edge group as a whole, Seattle lacks experience and a few players may not be as good of scheme fits as others. But there's no question the unit offers a far higher ceiling with a youthful, athletic core headlined by Taylor.
Turning 25 years old in March, the former second-round pick out of Tennessee bounced back after missing his entire rookie season due to a prolonged recovery from a broken leg by finishing tied for second on the team in sacks. Logging 543 defensive snaps at strongside linebacker, while his production waned in the second half, he exhibited elite juice rocketing upfield as a speed rusher and underrated ability turning speed to power as a bull rusher.
Poised for a breakout third season following a strong offseason program, Taylor should be a key part of the foundation the Seahawks will aim to build around defensively moving forward. Praising him for his work ethic, attention to detail, and contagious energy on the field, Hurtt doesn't see a cap on his upside and views him as a player others will follow leading by example.
“He can be as great as he wants to be," Hurtt said of Taylor. "I think the kid has a world of ability.”
Halfway through his rookie deal and oozing with potential, the pressure will be on Taylor to take a big leap forward in 2022. The same can be said for Nwosu, who will earn nearly $20 million over the next two seasons. Behind them, the Seahawks will be patient with Mafe, but he carries plenty of burden on his own shoulders as well after being selected with one of the picks acquired from the Broncos in the Russell Wilson trade.
While contributions from Smith and Robinson will also be welcomed, if not needed, Seattle's pass rush under a new coaching regime will only go as far as that young trio takes them. For the team to exceed low expectations entering a new era without Wilson or linebacker Bobby Wagner, others will need to rise to the occasion to help pick up the slack and Taylor, Nwosu, and Mafe creating consistent chaos off the edge would help their chances of staying in contention immensely.
