The Seattle Seahawks‘ defense arguably carried the team in 2025. Mike Macdonald’s unit improved significantly as the 2024 campaign progressed forward. Overall, Seattle’s defense finished 12th in scoring in 2024, allowing 21.6 points per game.

Macdonald’s defense was middling against the run, finishing 16th in the league (120.8/contest). The secondary was above average defending the pass, finishing 11th (211.9). The pass rush recorded a tied-for-eighth-best 45.0 sacks.

There have been personnel changes this offseason. Second-round rookie Nick Emmanwori and veteran pass rusher DeMarcus Lawrence are among the new acquisitions. Rayshawn Jenkins and Dre’Mont Jones were among the departures. All in all, the core of Seattle’s defense remains intact.

Bleacher Report recently outlined the best and worst case scenarios for all 32 defenses in the league. The best-case scenario sees Macdonald’s defense elevate into a top-five unit.

“Mike Macdonald earned the Seahawks head coaching gig by establishing himself as one of the best defensive minds in the league,” Alex Ballentine wrote. “That was evident in his first year with Seattle, taking a group that doesn’t have a real superstar and finishing just outside the top 10 in most metrics.

“Seattle doesn’t have a prototypical build. Its best players are a defensive tackle (Leonard Williams) and a nickel (Devon Witherspoon). Then again, they don’t have many players in the lineup who are objectively bad starters.”

The worst-case scenario sees the lack of legitimate superstars caps the defense’s ceiling.

“The Seahawks are a really interesting exercise in roster construction,” Ballentine continued. “Witherspoon is an elite slot corner and Leonard Williams is just a cut below Chris Jones in terms of disruptive defensive tackles. At what point are they just as valuable as stars who play on the outside of their respective positions? That’s a question that determines the ceiling for the group in Seattle.”

There’s reason to be legitimately excited about the 2025 Seahawks defense.

This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Bleacher Report: Best, worst case scenarios for Seahawks 2025 defense