Top 25 Seattle Seahawks Going into 2026 NFL Season: #11 Julian Love

Julian Love might not only the most underrated player for the Seattle Seahawks, but also in the entire league.

Feb 8, 2026; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) against the New England Patriots during Super Bowl LX at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Very rarely does it feel like a veteran from the league’s top scoring defense is one of the league’s top defenders. That might be the case for the Seattle Seahawks and their star safety Julian Love. In the three seasons that Love has been with the Seahawks, it has felt like he helped shift the tides of the Seahawks’ defense being run over by opposing offenses to dominating those opposing offenses. He isn’t getting the respect he deserves, which should be good for the Seahawks.

Why Love Could Be Ranked Higher?

Feb 11, 2026; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) celebrates with the Vince Lombardi trophy during the Super Bowl LX parade. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Love might be one of the most well-balanced safeties in the league. He is highly efficient at run defense, reading the opposing offense’s plays, can lock down a pass catcher in man coverage and can quickly read passing plays from zone. In 42 games played in the last three seasons, Love has accumulated 266 total tackles, 187 solo tackles, 28 pass breakups, eight interceptions and four forced fumbles.

He missed nine games last season due to a hamstring injury, but he was still one of the best safeties in the league. Pro Football Focus had Love as the sixth-highest graded safety last season at 82.2. In the final five games of the season, when he returned fully healthy, Love accounted for an overall grade of 90.3, the highest in the league.

He was able to take away from the opposing offense’s best deep pass-catcher in those games. It wasn’t often that the Seahawks were beaten deep and Love was a big reason why.

Why Lover Could Be Ranked Lower?​

Jun 9, 2026; Renton, WA, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) during minicamp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The good news is that Love is only 28 years old and will be entering the second year of a three-year, $33 million deal. He is, however, coming off a season where he missed nine regular-season games due to a hamstring issue. Before last season, he was praised for his durability and ability to stay healthy.  He did come back just in time for the late games of the regular season and into the playoffs, but not before suffering a setback in his recovery process.

While he is an efficient tackler, he has a hard time getting off blocks due to his size. This makes it a problem for offenses with multiple tight end sets like the Los Angeles Rams. He could be an asset and a problem when playing against running efficient teams like this.

Finally, Love doesn’t have the best recovery speed or the explosive speed to keep up with fast receivers. He has had to overcompensate with his high football IQ to quickly read the opposing offense’s plays and carefully cover deep passing plays.

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