Since Mike Macdonald became the head coach for the Seattle Seahawks in 2024, the team has seemingly been searching for the right couple of inside linebackers. Last season began with Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson. That lasted half of the season.
This year, Seattle started with Ernest Jones IV, a player added when Baker was traded to the Tennessee Titans in 2024, and second-year pro Tyrice Knight. Knight appeared to be a good fit in Macdonald's defensive scheme, but maybe that wasn't the case.
Early this season, [Knight began splitting his reps](https://12thmanrising.com/seattle-seahawks-just-made-stance-tyrice-knight-crystal-clear), which is somewhat odd as many inside linebackers play entire games. To make matters worse for Knight, the player he was splitting snaps with began to emerge as the more productive player. In Week 7, that player, Drake Thomas, was a star.
Drake Thomas becoming an unexpected breakout star for the Seattle Seahawks
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Coming into 2025, Thomas, an undrafted free agent in 2023, had played 41 defensive snaps. He has far surpassed that this season. He has surpassed that in three of the last four games. Against the Houston Texans, Thomas played 68 defensive snaps (Knight played zero) and each was valuable.
Thomas proved he could cover well, use his speed to run down ball-carriers, and play with intelligence. He finished with five tackles, but two of those were for a loss. He also broke up three passes and had a quarterback hit.
It means a lot that the more Macdonald asked Thomas to make plays, the better the linebacker did. He isn't just a bit better than Knight at this point, but much better. Thomas is becoming integral to the success of the defense overall. The question is whether he can sustain his current level?
Drake Thomas could simply be another example of a player who fits exceedingly well into Mike Macdonald's scheme. He has all the physical attributes to do so. Macdonald can move him around to help disguise his fronts, where Knight was more of a classic off-ball linebacker: Good in run support, but not offering much versatility.
Thomas is a restricted free agent next offseason, and the Seattle Seahawks almost certainly will keep him on the team. Mike Macdonald has a good problem now. Tyrice Knight isn't a bad player, and can play, if needed, but Drake Thomas is better at this point. Plus, all three of [the key inside linebackers](https://12thmanrising.com/seattle-seahawks-could-playing-final-game-without-high-impact-starter) are in no danger of playing for another team in the near future.