Probably the biggest success of the 2024 Seattle Seahawks draft was the selection of Tyrice Knight. He, along with AJ Barner, surprised the most unsuspecting. His arrival in the starting lineup marked the moment of change for the Seahawks defense.
Even though he still needs adjustments, can he be considered the steal of the Seahawks draft?
Tyrice Knight’s 2024
We’ve said a few times that Seattle made mistakes in the LB sector; letting Jordyn Brooks walk and signing Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker. Knight shared some snaps with Baker in Week 2 in the win against the New England Patriots. Baker got injured and Knight was the starter against the Miami Dolphins and Detroit Lions, sharing snaps this time with Drake Thomas.
The Seahawks traded for Ernest Jones and cut Dodson in the bye week. This finally put Knight as a full-time starter and he fully delivered. He was an important part of the team’s growth in the running game, something that Baker and Dodson were terrible at. The rookie finished with six missed tackles, second-best only to Omar Speights of the Rams. Dodson recorded 88 total tackles in 2024 – the most by a Seahawks rookie since Bobby Wagner in 2012. (via Pro Football Reference)
Knight also showed that the passing game, which was his main difficulty coming from UTEP, would not be such a big problem. He will still need to adapt, but the result was much more positive than expected. His 76% completed passes against was the second-best mark among rookies.
The rookie was also an important piece as a blitzer/pass rusher. He finished the year with 10 pressures (3rd), 2 sacks (2nd), 2 hits and 6 hurries (2nd).
Tyrice Knight is a tackling machine
Knight has good technique to face blocks with good leverage while keeping his eyes on the backfield.
He moves with the flow of the play to the left side of the attack. Knight escapes the center and defends the gap that was left open in the opposite direction.
Good work on the shed block with the guard, who goes up to the second level and remains free to make the tackle.
Knight is good at avoiding blocks. He has good mobility and speed to escape the OLs and attack the RBs while still in the backfield.
One of Knight’s best qualities is being extremely instinctive. There is a price to pay for this. In this play he tries to anticipate the gap that the RB will attack and therefore changes his gap, leaving space for the cutback.
Tyrice Knight in coverage
Knight has been improving his ROBOT technique throughout the season. After finishing the play action, he turns to find the TE on the route, taking away the option for Sam Darnold, who forces a pass and almost gets intercepted.
Another area where he has improved is his perception of routes that happen behind him. He anticipates the route well here, but he needs a better angle, since here he went towards the receiver and the contact could have generated a penalty.
The Cardinals call an empty formation and Knight is assigned to guard the fourth overall pick in the 2024 draft, Marvin Harrison Jr. He stays calm on the receiver’s release and manages to deflect the pass.
Amon-Ra St Brown is one of the best receivers in the NFL, especially in the slot. Once again, he stays patient and makes the immediate tackle, preventing additional yards.
Good job reacting to what is happening and identifying the screen. However, look how he manages to escape two blockers and make the tackle.
This isn’t exactly a bad snap from Knight. It’s just a sample of how a millisecond can make a big difference in the NFL. He identified the play and stayed one step back, giving the minimum space for the pass to be completed.
Tyrice Knight’s potential as a blitzer
This was one of the points that surprised me the most. He showed himself to be a good option as a blitzer both in processing the right opportunities and having the physical tools to be a real threat.
Look how he leaves the center lost in the play and has a clear path to get to the QB.
I don’t have all the details of Mike Macdonald’s playbook, but he seems to give his players freedom to improvise blitzes in certain cases. Knight could be like a green dog on this play; once the RB goes on a route he improvises a blitz and attacks the QB.
Great blitz design. Knight threatens the A gap on the right side of the center and attacks the left. This leaves Ernest Jones 1v1 against the RB and Knight shows strength when bench pressing the center and using leverage well to win and get the sack.
He comes to the QB and realizes that it was a screen for the TE. Apparently the Cardinals OL got lost and the LT and LG blocked only one player, leaving Knight and Derick Hall free to attack the QB. Knight manages to deflect the pass and avoid the screen.
Final Thoughts
I don’t expect the same leap in production that I expect from Byron Murphy and Christian Haynes, since Knight has shown good performance. Yes, there are areas in his game that need improvement, but if he avoids a sophomore slump or an injury, we’ll be on the winning side.
The duo with Ernest Jones is very complementary and has the potential to be the foundation of the defense for years to come. The impact that both had on the run game was part of the change that the defense had during the season. If Knight can show improvement in the passing game, he will have been one of the Seahawks’ big steals in the Draft.
Who knows, maybe the Seahawks can replicate the success they had with KJ Wright in the fourth round as well?