And now, with nearly every key contributor returning, the Seahawks can build on the foundation they set<\/a> during that second-half surge. On top of that, they bolstered the unit with more talent this offseason, adding four-time Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence in free agency and ultra-athletic safety Nick Emmanwori in the second round of the NFL Draft.<\/p>\n So, just how good can this Seahawks defense be? The Athletic\u2019s Derrik Klassen<\/a>, co-host of The Athletic Football Show, thinks the sky is the limit.<\/p>\n \u201cI think there\u2019s a chance that they can be the best defense in the league,\u201d Klassen said Friday on Seattle Sports\u2019 Bump and Stacy.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Macdonald\u2019s brilliance<\/p>\n The biggest reason for Klassen\u2019s optimism centers on the 38-year-old Macdonald, who he termed as \u201cone of the most brilliant play callers in the league\u201d on the defensive side.<\/p>\n Macdonald quickly developed a reputation as a defensive mastermind in Baltimore, where he excelled during his two-year stint as the Ravens\u2019 defensive coordinator. Running an innovative scheme that flustered opponents, Macdonald\u2019s Ravens finished third in scoring defense in 2022 and then made NFL history in 2023, becoming the first defense to lead the league in points allowed, sacks and takeaways.<\/p>\n And as a first-time head coach last fall \u2013 after inheriting a struggling Seattle defense that ranked 25th in scoring each of the past two seasons \u2013 Macdonald turned the Seahawks into top-five defense over the back half of 2024.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just feels like they are never in the wrong call,\u201d Klassen said. \u201cAnd that\u2019s kind of a hard thing to quantify, but you watch other defenses, and every now and then you just feel like, \u2018Ah man, they shouldn\u2019t have blitzed there. Ah man, they really shouldn\u2019t have ran man (coverage) there.\u2019 It feels like Mike Macdonald does the opposite. \u2026 It just all feels like they have the right answers at the right time.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are very few defensive coordinators where it feels like they are on the front foot against the offense. And Mike Macdonald, to me, is one of those guys. I think he teaches the secondary very well, and then he brings his pressures in a way that is very smart.\u201d<\/p>\n Strength in the trenches<\/p>\n Klassen likes the overall collection of talent on Seattle\u2019s defense. But of all the position groups, he\u2019s most excited to watch the defensive tackles.<\/p>\n The Seahawks\u2019 interior defensive line is led by 31-year-old Leonard Williams, a two-time Pro Bowler who is coming off a sensational season<\/a> that featured 11 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, three pass deflections and a pick-six. Seattle also has 32-year-old veteran Jarran Reed, who totaled 11.5 sacks over the past two seasons. And then there\u2019s 2024 first-round pick Byron Murphy II, who could be poised for a step forward in Year 2<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThis defensive tackle unit might be insane,\u201d Klassen said. \u201cLeonard Williams, last year, obviously was one of the best defensive tackles in the league. He played at truly an All-Pro level. \u2026 And then I think there\u2019s a chance that Byron Murphy really takes a step and is something similar to what Mike Macdonald had with (second-team All-Pro) Justin Madubuike in Baltimore.<\/p>\n \u201cThere are obviously some other good players on the defense. \u2026 But I really think that defensive tackle room, if this is the best defense in the league, it\u2019s gonna be because of those guys.\u201d<\/p>\n Listen to the full conversation with The Athletic\u2019s\u00a0Derrik Klassen at this link<\/a>\u00a0or in the audio player at the bottom of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.<\/p>\n Seattle Seahawks news and analysis<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Wyman: The key X-factor in Seattle Seahawks\u2019 O-line battles<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Bump: Why Seattle Seahawks signing Shaquill Griffin is \u2018good move\u2019<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Seattle Seahawks have the pieces for \u2018really exciting\u2019 defense<\/a>
\u2022 Hasselbeck: How Seattle Seahawks could gain edge sprinkling in Milroe<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0NFC West Insider: Seattle Seahawks WR Cooper Kupp \u2018can still play\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n
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