PFF claims Seahawks have 'too many mouths to feed' at edge rusher spot

The Seattle Seahawks defense got off to a promising start in head coach Mike Macdonald's first season taking over for Pete Carroll. The team allowed 21.6 points per game last year, which was tied with the Buffalo Bills for 11th in the NFL.

General manager John Schneider spent most of the offseason revamping the offense, but Seattle's defense will likely determine how far the team goes in 2025. The Seahawks added some pieces to their secondary and upgraded their pass rush in free agency.

Not only did the team re-sign linebacker Ernest Jones IV, but veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence signed a three-year deal with Seattle as a free agent.

While you can never have too many pass rushers in the NFL, Pro Football Focus had some questions regarding the team's pecking order along the edge.

"As the start of training camp nears, attention will definitely be on the edge rusher rotation," wrote PFF's Bradley Locker. "Seattle returns strong players at the position in Boye Mafe (75.2 PFF overall grade), Uchenna Nwosu (63.0 PFF overall grade) and Derick Hall (67.6 PFF pass-rushing grade)."

With Lawrence projected to start, PFF wondered if there were "too many mouths to feed" up front in Seattle this season.

"At the same time, the Seahawks added four-time Pro Bowler DeMarcus Lawrence (56.8 PFF overall grade) on a three-year, $32.49 million contract," Locker continued. "Nwosu and Lawrence both played less than 200 snaps a season ago, which might make Mafe and Hall the favorites, but there may be too many mouths to feed going into September for Mike Macdonald."

Sep 8, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Dallas Cowboys defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence (90) lies on top of Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) after a sack during the first quarter at Huntington Bank Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images | Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

While this is a legitimate question, Macdonald loves to mix up his defensive looks and likes his players to be interchangeable. Last season, the team tied for eighth in the NFL with 45 sacks recorded.

Regardless of who gets the most reps, the Seahawks pass rush should continue to ascend in 2025. Considering all of the changes on offense, the team will have to lean on its defense while Sam Darnold and company find their footing.

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