Seahawks defense 'taking that next big step' in Year 2 under Mike Macdonald

At this time last season, the Seattle Seahawks' players were just beginning to meet new head coach Mike Macdonald and the entirely new coaching staff. For players who were on the team under Pete Carroll, it was a shift — one that didn't allow the team to reach its potential until late in the season.

Now, as Macdonald enters his second season as the team's head coach, Seattle's defense is hoping to emerge as one of the best in the league. Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams is confident they can achieve that.

"It's a big difference," Williams said, per the team's official website. "Now we all know each other and we're building off of what we ended with last year. We're coming off a 10-win season, and I think everybody's excited to take that next leap. You could just feel the energy in the building today. Everybody was super locked in, everybody is happy to see each other, happy to put their best foot forward."

Seattle's defense, which climbed back from being a below-average unit in the first half of the season to being above-average, remained mostly intact this offseason. It lost edge-rusher Dre'Mont Jones, defensive lineman Roy Robertson-Harris and cornerbacks Tre Brown and Artie Burns — all of whom are losses the defense can easily recover from.

Seattle Seahawks Defensive End Leonard Williams (99), Free Safety Devon Witherspoon (21) and Nose Tackle Jarred Reed (90). — Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks Defensive End Leonard Williams (99), Free Safety Devon Witherspoon (21) and Nose Tackle Jarred Reed (90) celebrate a 4th down stop at SoFi Stadium, as the Seattle Seahawks face off versus the Los Angeles Rams Week 18 matchup. | William Navarro-Imagn Images

The Seahawks retained inside linebacker Ernest Jones IV and added edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence. They also have the NFL Draft to build on areas that need depth, including the defensive line, safety and cornerback room. Macdonald and company laid the building blocks last season, and now they can get even better.

"We're just working on taking that next big step," Williams added. "We brought in some really nice pieces on defense, and across the board on defense, we feel like we're the heart of this team, and we kind of showed that at the end of last year. Not saying that we don't believe in those guys on the other side of the ball; I hope they're thinking the same thing. I want them to think they're the heart of the team. We take a lot of pride in that and we're working towards being the tip of the spear for this team."

Williams was a leader for Seattle's defense, having a career year where he logged 64 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, 28 quarterback hits, three pass deflections and a 92-yard pick-six — the longest interception return touchdown by a defensive lineman in NFL history.

He's become a foundational player for Macdonald's defense and emerged as the heartbeat of Seattle's defensive line. If the unit is expecting to make another leap in 2025, it'll be in large part due to Williams.

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