Seattle Seahawks insider names unheralded DB as surprise standout

The Seattle Seahawks have a host of talent in the secondary, with Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen at cornerback and Julian Love at safety.

In comparison, Coby Bryant seemingly falls between the cracks more often, but maybe he shouldn't.

Bryant, 26, had his ups and downs in his first two seasons, with the Seahawks having some trouble deciding where to best utilize his talents. In 2024, however, he moved to safety full-time and excelled, recording 73 tackles, six pass breakups and a pick-six that brought Lumen Field to life in a way not seen in years. He also allowed a passer rating of just 77.3 when targeted.

COBY BRYANT PICK-6 IN SEATTLE!

📺: #AZvsSEA on FOX
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/xVFRwEbk70
— NFL (@NFL) November 24, 2024

Ahead of the 2025 season, Seattle Sports' Stacy Rost believes Bryant is poised to continue his rise to stardom.

Seattle Seahawks defensive back Coby Bryant — Nov 24, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Coby Bryant (8) celebrates as he walks to the locker room following a victory against the Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

“I don’t know that the national media is paying a lot of attention to a guy like Coby Bryant,” Rost said on "Bump & Stacy." “I think that he can be a massive contributor to a team. And while he’s not gonna come in the way that Zack Baun did as a linebacker for the Eagles and be your star linebacker and then get this massive contract, sometimes when you’re talking about the pieces of a really, really good defense, there are pieces that, as a national (football fan), you’re learning about for the first time.

“And I hope that there are a lot of national (fans) that learn about Coby Bryant for the first time this year with the Seahawks.”

The 2022 fourth-round pick is now entering his first full season as a starter, and he has a great secondary around him. Between Bryant, Witherspoon, Woolen, Love and second-round rookie Nick Emmanwori, the Seahawks' secondary is looking very dangerous this season.

“I think that this secondary has a lot of potential, and part of that potential is coming to come down to how great their depth is and how versatile they can be with some of these guys,” Rost said. “Coby is incredibly versatile, just like Nick Emmanwori can be incredibly versatile. So I’m curious to see how Mike Macdonald uses some of his weapons in the defensive backfield.”

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