Four EDGE Rushers The Seattle Seahawks Could Trade For

The state of the EDGE defenders on the Seattle Seahawks right now is complicated. Derick Hall is playing well, but isn’t showing signs of a leap into stardom. DeMarcus Lawrence still has the sauce against the run, but may not as a rusher. Same for Uchenna Nwosu. Dante Fowler Jr has been modestly effective on a very small set of snaps. Is it enough? Maybe not.

Khalil Mack

This one seems obvious. Mack is 35 years old, is still effective despite playing way too many snaps on a bad team, is on a one-year deal, and has never won a playoff game in his NFL career. He’s got the size and abilities against the run to fit the Mike Macdonald defense. If you want a short-term solution, Mack is as good a bet as you’re going to find.

Mack has the juice. — Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) and Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Tuli Tuipulotu (45) react after a play against the Las Vegas Raiders. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Seahawks even have some control over their destiny here, since they play the Chargers this weekend. Send them to 0-4, and they’d probably just leave Mack in the visitor’s locker room in exchange for a day three pick and an agreement to handle most of the rest of his salary. Mack deserves better than to spend his final season on a hopeless team.

Jermaine Johnson II

More upside, but also more downside. Back in 2023, Jermaine Johnson made the pro bowl in his second season with 7.5 sacks on a lackluster New York Jets team. He’s recorded 3 sacks in the two seasons and change since, missing most of the 2024 season and then being largely ineffective in 2025 before getting traded to the Tennessee Titans.

Can Mike figure out what's holding JJII back? — Tennessee Titans linebacker Cedric Gray (33) and defensive end Jermaine Johnson II (11) converge on Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1). | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Maybe he doesn’t have it anymore. He’s been strong against the run, but ineffective as a pass rusher so far this year according to PFF. But he’s in the final year of his rookie deal and should come cheap. Maybe Mike could get the best out of him, and maybe he could even turn into a long-term piece for the Seattle Dark Side Defense. Worth a phone call.

YaYa Diaby

This would be a bigger, bolder move. Diaby has been a consistently excellent pass rusher for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers his whole career, including 64 total pressures on Pro Football Reference over 2024 and 2025. He’s got size at 270 pounds, seems strong against the run, and definitely wants money that the Bucs may not be willing to hand over right now.

The price to be paid for giving Baker all that money? — Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker YaYa Diaby (0) celebrates a tackle against the Cleveland Browns. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The question is, do the Seattle Seahawks want to hand it over? Trading for him, which would not be cheap, might also have to come with a lucrative extension. I’m not against it, but I wouldn’t call YaYa a superstar, and he might want superstar money. Definitely worthy of a call given Tampa’s 0-3 start, but tread with caution lest you get roped into something big.

Danielle Hunter

Another logical pick, muddied somewhat by his contract. Hunter is about to turn 32, and has had an excellent career of chasing quarterbacks that has yet to result in a chance at the super bowl. He’s been remarkably durable during his career, has Mike Macdonald size at around 265 pounds, and still has plenty left in the tank based on his play so far this year.

He’s under contract next season, with a $45 million cap hit, of which more than $30 million is base. Houston has also stashed a LOT of money into void years, so they might not be willing to part with him. But if the Dallas Cowboys send Houston to 0-4 this weekend, it feels like anything could be on the table. Especially if CJ Stroud is still looking for $70 million a year.

Caveats

There are a couple other names that are worthy of mention, and we may have another article in this space in the near future to explore them. However, understand that Mike Macdonald’s defense asks EDGE rushers to play a particular style of football that sacrifices pass rush for run defense, so don’t expect anyone to be some over-the-top savior.

Fowler can still play, but maybe only a little bit. — Seattle Seahawks linebacker Dante Fowler (56) runs drills during minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

But I do believe you can do better than Dante Fowler, assuming the team truly doesn’t trust him to play more than 12-15 snaps a game. That seems to be the case right now, and it’s putting an excessive load on the other rushers we have. Bring it someone who can lighten the load, and I think you’ve got something that can work. So, choose your fighter.

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