Seahawks' emerging defender cracks Pro Football Focus positional rankings

During the 2024 season, the Seahawks swung a trade for a linebacker that wound up bolstering their defense. Where does Ernest Jones rank heading into 2025?

Dec 8, 2024; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

He began his career as a third-round draft choice with the Los Angeles Rams in 2021. That debut season saw the former University of South Carolina would culminate with a 23-20 victory for Sean McVay’s team over the Cincinnati Bengals in Super Bowl LVI at SoFi Stadium.

As it turned out, linebacker Ernest Jones ivy wasn't long for the City of Angels. In 2024, he was dealt to the Tennessee Titans and played six games for that club before being traded to the Seattle Seahawks during the season. He wound up suiting up for Mike Macdonald’s club for 10 contests, and still managed to finish third on the club with 94 tackles.

Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Tyler Johnson (18) is chased down by Seattle Seahawks linebacker Ernest Jones IV (13) as he runs for a first down in the second half at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Before he joined Macdonald’s club in 2024, the Seahawks were struggling mightily against the run, He helped rectify that and while the team still finished a mediocre 16th in the league in rushing defense, it could have been a lot worse if not for the addition of this up-and-coming performer.

Mason Cameron recently released Pro Football Focus’ linebacker rankings for 2025 and listed the top 32 performers—broken into six tiers. Jones was at No. 30, and was third player listed on Tier 6.

“In 2024, Jones was traded twice in a three-month span,” explained Cameron, “from the Rams to the Titans before the season, and again in October to the Seahawks. The constant movement understandably made it difficult for Jones to get acclimated to a system, resulting in his lowest PFF overall grade as a pro.”

"Now with an extension in hand,” added Cameron, “Jones has some security in Seattle, where he can hopefully return to his 2023 level of play. That season, he earned 80.0-plus PFF grades as a run defender (86.2) and a pass rusher (83.1).”

That 2024 grade for Jones of 60.7 puts him at No. 53 on the list when it came to PFF’s linebacker grades. The previous season, he was the 13th-ranked player with a 78.8 mark. An offseason in Mike Macdonald’s system should result in a better performance and a number much closer to that of 2023.

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