Heading into Year 2 of the Mike Macdonald era, the expectations are high for the Seattle Seahawks’ defense.
And for good reason.
Instant observations from Seahawks’ preseason loss to Packers
After some initial growing pains last year, Seattle’s defense quickly evolved into one of the league’s best units, ranking fifth in scoring defense and fourth in total defense over the final nine weeks of the season. And now, with nearly every defensive starter and key contributor back from that second-half surge, the unit is looking to build on the promising foundation it laid last November and December.
The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia, who used to cover the Seahawks for ESPN.com, is particularly high on what Macdonald’s group can accomplish. In an article posted last week, Kapadia predicted Seattle to have the No. 1 defense in the NFL this season.
"That doesn't feel that controversial to me," says @SheilKapadia on why he has the #Seahawks defense ranked No. 1 heading into 2025.@BrockHuard x @TheMikeSalk
FULL VIDEO 📺: https://t.co/LZvlnhuCxA pic.twitter.com/kUZcQm1VsS
— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) August 25, 2025
How can the Seahawks reach that lofty status? When posed that question Monday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, Kapadia pointed to a pair of young “wild cards” in second-year defensive tackle Byron Murphy II and ultra-versatile rookie safety Nick Emmanwori.
“Defensively, they reach their potential, I think, if one of these wild cards is really sort of a breakout (player) – whether it’s Murphy, whether it’s Emmanwori, (and) we’re saying, man, look at the way Mike Macdonald is using him,” Kapadia said. “… I feel like you need one of those younger players to sort of be a breakout star if they’re gonna reach that No. 1 level.”
Murphy, Seattle’s 2024 first-round draft pick, had a solid rookie campaign. But while he did a lot of dirty work along the interior that didn’t necessarily show up on the stat sheet, the 6-foot, 306-pound Murphy finished with just 0.5 sacks and two tackles for loss in 14 games. A second-year leap from Murphy could certainly help elevate the Seahawks’ defense to the next level.
Emmanwori, a second-round pick in April’s draft, may be the ultimate X-factor. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound hybrid safety has a rare combination of size and athleticism, which he put on full display with an eye-catching performance at the NFL combine. He also has a unique level of positional flexibility, which he showcased by roaming all over the field as a big-time playmaker during his college career at South Carolina.
Emmanwori’s skill set has drawn comparisons to Baltimore Ravens All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, who served as a versatile chess piece for Macdonald during his success-filled run as the Ravens’ defensive coordinator in 2022 and 2023. If Emmanwori even shows just flashes of that potential, it would bode very well for Seattle’s defense this fall.
“I think their floor is pretty high,” Kapadia said of the Seahawks’ defense. “I mean, I would be really surprised if they were anything but a good defense this year. But to be one of the best defenses in the NFL, they probably need one of those young players to hit.”
Listen to the full conversation with The Ringer’s Sheil Kapadia at this link or in the audio player near the middle of this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
More on the Seattle Seahawks
• Daniel Jeremiah: ‘Coherent plan’ coming together for Seattle Seahawks’ offense
• Stacy Rost: What the Seattle Seahawks need to go right to win NFC West
• Seattle Seahawks’ joint practice with Packers features several skirmishes
• Is the starting Seattle Seahawks O-line now set? Huard’s take
• Who makes the cut? Projecting Seattle Seahawks’ 53-man roster