Seahawks S Quandre Diggs Fully Healthy, Hunting For Elusive All-Pro Nod
Since first arriving in the Pacific Northwest at the trade deadline in 2019, Seattle Seahawks safety Quandre Diggs has attained a well-deserved reputation as one of the NFL's premier ball-hawking defensive backs.
Finishing with four interceptions for Seattle while earning his third straight Pro Bowl selection in 2022, Diggs extended his impressive streak as the only player in the league with at least three picks in six consecutive seasons. Over the past four seasons, only J.C. Jackson and Justin Simmons have recorded more interceptions than the former Texas standout, who picked off quarterbacks 17 times in 55 regular season games after being acquired from Detroit for a fifth-round draft choice.
But despite that consistent excellence thriving as the center fielder for the Seahawks, Diggs has yet to achieve his goal of becoming an All-Pro. Last season, he received 12 points total and two first-place votes, tying for eighth overall in balloting and finishing outside of the top five for the second straight year. Even though he had five interceptions in 2020 and shined for a 12-win squad, he didn't receive any votes while teammate Jamal Adams earned Second-Team distinction.
Now 30 years old entering his ninth NFL season and the second year of a three-year contract signed in March 2022, it remains uncertain how many more opportunities Diggs will have to ascend to the top of the safety hierarchy as an All-Pro. But if there's a year where he could finally make it happen, after rehabbing all of last summer from a significant leg injury, everything appears to be lining up for him to break through in 2023.
This time a year ago, as Diggs recently posted on his Twitter account, the veteran defender couldn't even cut yet as he grinded his way back from surgery to repair a broken fibula and dislocated ankle suffered in Seattle's season finale at Arizona. More than five months removed from the procedure, he arrived at training camp ready to go physically, but he later admitted he may have played a bit hesitant early in the season coming off the injury.
That hesitancy could be seen at times on the field, as Diggs wasn't quite as reliable of a tackler early in the season as Seahawk fans had become accustomed to seeing on Sundays, missing 15.1 percent of his attempts according to Pro Football Focus. He also uncharacteristically dropped several potential turnovers, finishing tied for second among safeties with four dropped interceptions on the season, including allowing a gift-wrapped pick from 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy to bounce off his chest plate late in the first half of a Week 15 loss at Lumen Field.
But while Diggs left more plays on the field than usual out of the gate, as he became more comfortable playing on his surgically repaired leg, his prior play-making artistry started to return in the second half of the season. All four of his interceptions, including what ultimately became a playoff-clinching pick against the Rams in overtime in Week 18, came in the final seven games of the regular season.
Amid what some would view as a "down" season by Diggs' previous standards with the aforementioned missed tackle and dropped interception issues, he still stacked up favorably against the best safeties in the sport. Based on PFF's charting, he ranked first among all safeties in receptions allowed (10), receiving yards allowed (135), and completion percentage against (47.6 percent). He also posted the lowest passer rating among qualified players at his position (60.7) while allowing only two touchdowns.
Considering Diggs wasn't ready to play football 50 days before training camp opened last summer and had only participated in walkthroughs during the offseason program, his excellent production starting all 17 games for the Seahawks may stand out as his most notable achievement to date. And the stage has been set for him to find greater success thanks to a normal offseason among other factors.
Not having to worry about re-learning how to run and cut as he did last spring and summer during rehab, Diggs has been participating in organized team activities this month and working in his typical spot as the free safety with the first-team defense. Serving as the leader of the secondary, he's providing mentorship for incoming rookies Devon Witherspoon and Jerrick Reed II and ensuring everyone gets up to speed quickly with training camp just around the corner.
Flying around the field 100 percent healthy, Diggs should benefit immensely from the addition of Witherspoon, who will pair up with Pro Bowl cornerback Tariq Woolen on the outside, as well as the impending return of Jamal Adams from a torn quad tendon. The Seahawks will also be banking on an improved pass rush featuring Uchenna Nwosu, Dre'Mont Jones, Darrell Taylor, Boye Mafe, and rookie Derick Hall turning up the heat on opposing quarterbacks, leading to more pressured throws for the ball magnet to get his hands on.
Maybe most importantly, Seattle should have more continuity scheme-wise entering coordinator Clint Hurtt's second season calling the shots. While it remains to be seen how much carryover there will be from 2022 in regards to implementing a hybrid Vic Fangio-style 3-4 defense and some changes could be on tap, everyone in the building expects sharper execution of assignments and better overall play from the front line all the way back to Diggs and company in the secondary against both the run and the pass.
After coming up short the past few years in the All-Pro department, the stars look aligned for Diggs to get over the hump with a rising young team. Following the birth of his second child and marriage to the love of his life earlier this year, adding that title to his already stellar resume and pushing for a Super Bowl berth would be quite the cherry on top for one of the game's most underrated stars.
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