Devon Witherspoon sacking Joshua Dobbs in Week 7, and the rookie's pass rush grades are near the top of the NFL ahead of the Seahawks Week 8 game, making him a favorite for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
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Seahawks rookie CB Devon Witherspoon sacks Cardials QB Jishua Dobbs in Week 7.
The Seattle Seahawks‘ formidable defensive unit — which already features players like Devon Witherspoon, Bryon Murphy II, and Tyrice Knight — got even stronger this offseason when they selected the toolsy South Carolina DB Nick Emmanwori in the NFL Draft.
Combine this level of talent on the roster with a defensive schematic savant like head coach Mike Macdonald, and it is easy to see why one NFL writer is predicting the Seahawks defense could finish the 2025 NFL season as the best statistical unit in the league.
Seahawks Predicted to Finish the NFL Season as the Top Scoring Defense in the League in 2025
Michael-Shawn Dugger of The Athletic believes the Seattle Seahawks’ defense is going to make the leap from a good unit last season to an elite group in 2025.
“Seattle finished 11th by this metric last season, and fifth in opponent points per drive,” wrote Dugger. “Another year in coach Mike Macdonald’s system while also returning nearly all the starters from last year — minus the swap of Dre’Mont Jones for DeMarcus Lawrence, which is an upgrade — should put Seattle in position to field the league’s stingiest defense. The Seahawks haven’t had the No. 1 scoring defense since 2015, but with better depth playing beside Pro Bowlers Devon Witherspoon and Leonard Williams, things are lining up for Seattle to make a return to the top of the defensive rankings.”
The addition of Demarcus Lawrence this offseason could help fortify the unit up front alongside Leonard Williams, Jarren Reed, Bryon Murphy II, and Uchenna Owusu. Tyrice Knight and Ernest Jones IV are both speedy linebackers who flashed on numerous occasions in 2024. The cornerback room has the potential to be elite with Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen. Lastly, the safety room that already features Julian Love and Coby Bryant could get even better with the arrival of Nick Emmanwori.
The Seahawks have a lot of talent scattered on all three levels of this defense. If Mike Macdonald can figure out how to make all the pieces of this puzzle fit together cohesively, then this group could make a big leap forward in 2025.
Nick Emmanwori Could Be the Seahawks’ Version of Kyle Hamilton for Seattle
The core of this defensive unit is very young. Names like Devon Witherspoon, Byron Murphy II, Tyrice Knight, Riq Woolen, and Ernest Jones IV all flashing potential of high-impact defenders early in their NFL careers.
Cameron Van Til of Seattle Sports touched on how Emmanwori could be the Seahawks version of Kyle Hamilton — who excelled in Mike Macdonald’s scheme during their time in Baltimore — to help elevate this defense evolve into the vision their head coach has for this group.
“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,” wrote Van Til. “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.”
If Emmanwori can pick up the nuances of this hybrid safety role without compromising the integrity of his defensive responsibilities in this scheme, then he could be the key to unlocking this defense’s true potential in 2025.