Could Defensive Line Be Achilles' Heel of the 2020 Seahawks?

The Seahawks have plenty of talent on defense, but without re-signing Jadeveon Clowney and failing to add any other big name defenders in the trenches, the defensive line remains the position group that could prevent the team from reaching its potential.

No team is perfect in the NFL. Every team has one position or unit that they need to shore up and for the Seahawks, it's still the defensive line. 

Pro Football Focus ranked each team's defensive line and the Seahawks came in dead last at 32nd overall. Ouch.

As part of their critique, they cited Seattle's heavy reliance on now-departed Jadeveon Clowney for production in 2019. The team as a whole produced 28.0 sacks - 3.0 of them from Clowney - and were among the worst defensive lines at getting after the passer last season.

Seattle's defense also allowed the fifth-most yards per attempt on the ground, which suggests the line struggled to maintain their gap assignments and were dominated by run blocking. Coach Pete Carroll also assessed that his team had issues with containing outside runs throughout the year.

The defensive line played poorly at times last season, even with Clowney in the mix. Heading into 2020, they will very likely be without Clowney, who still has not signed anywhere just days before training camps are set to open. And he's not the only defensive lineman gone, as they will also sorely miss Quinton Jefferson's versatility playing defensive tackle and defensive end. 

Seattle has also yet to replace the big, veteran presence of Al Woods as an interior tackle to suck up blocks and be stout against the run. Woods missed the final two regular season games and both playoff games last season and the Seahawks struggled to replace his production and presence.

Jarran Reed and Poona Ford will start on the defensive interior but there is little depth behind them. Only Bryan Mone has ever played in an NFL regular season game.

Heading into free agency, there were plenty of quality defensive linemen on the market and some still are available, including numerous Pro Bowlers. As mentioned, Clowney is technically still unsigned while Everson Griffen, Damon Harrison, Marcell Dareus, and Mike Daniels are all still without a team for the 2020 season.

And yet, to this point, the Seahawks haven't signed any of those players. The pandemic has impacted the ability to get physicals with players, so it's possible they could still move to add one of those bigger names when camp starts.

On paper, it looks as if the defensive line as a whole is not as talented as last year's roster. However, Seattle made numerous additions via free agency in Bruce Irvin and Benson Mayowa as well as via the draft with Darrell Taylor and Alton Robinson, all of which addressed the LEO or EDGE position, not the interior line. 

At other positions, Seattle has far more talent and depth. Defensively, they still boast the best linebacker in football in Bobby Wagner, who is flanked by fellow stalwart K.J. Wright. First round pick Jordyn Brooks should provide an injection of talent as well.

In the secondary, Shaquill Griffin is coming off of a Pro Bowl season. Quinton Dunbar is, for now, allowed to practice with the team and seems to be on the brink of his own breakout year. If he ends up not playing, Tre Flowers will step back in for a third year at the spot. Seattle possesses one of the most experienced safety tandems in football with Bradley McDougald and Quandre Diggs. 

All three NFC West rivals pose difficult challenges for Ken Norton Jr.'s defensive unit. The 49ers are fresh off of an NFC title with their prized quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo and a consistent running attack. Kyler Murray looks to make a big leap in year two in Arizona and could be a nightmare for defensive lines everywhere trying to contain him. The Rams still have coach Sean McVay who is always scheming to exploit the opposing defense's biggest weakness.

If another signing isn't made along the defensive line or if a player like L.J. Collier or Demarcus Christmas doesn't make a big leap with their development, the defensive front might be a hindrance to the team's overall success. If opponents are able to run the ball successfully against the Seahawks as well as keep their quarterbacks off of the ground, it will be hard for the team to reach their lofty goals in the league's toughest division and Pro Football Focus's assessment may turn out to be a prophecy.