After ranking 24th in scoring defense and 23rd in yards allowed through Week 9, Seattle was fifth scoring defense and fourth in yards allowed from Week 10 on.<\/p>\n
And one of the biggest developments to come from within that standout defense was the emergence of rookie linebacker Tyrice Knight, who took over as a full-time starter in Week 11.<\/p>\n
The UTEP product\u2019s performance has caught the eye of more than those in the Pacific Northwest. NFL.com\u2019s Bucky Brooks recently named Knight as one of his 11 defensive picks to his 2025 All-Breakout Team<\/a>, which highlights young players poised for big seasons.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s what Brooks said about Knight:<\/p>\n The unheralded fourth-round pick out of UTEP quietly made his mark as a rookie with 88 tackles (three for loss), 1.5 sacks and four QB hits in 16 games. Knight quickly outplayed his draft pedigree (No. 118 overall), emerging as a disruptive defender on the second level. With Mike Macdonald poised to tap into the second-year pro\u2019s skills as a sideline-to-sideline pursuer, the Seahawks might have found another defensive gem to build around.<\/p>\n If Brooks\u2019 premonition about Knight is true, Seahawks Radio Network and former NFL wideout Michael Bumpus<\/a> thinks it could bring the Seahawks\u2019 defense to the next level.<\/p>\n \u201cIf that were to happen, you will have one of the best duos at the linebacker spot in the league,\u201d Bumpus said during his Four Down Territory segment on Seattle Sports\u2019 Bump and Stacy. \u201cInterior linebacker, it\u2019s a dying position. Everyone wants those edge rushers who look all fast and good in their uniforms. Let\u2019s get some love to the interior guys. And if you were to do this, that means you\u2019re solid against the run, you\u2019re solid against the pass and you\u2019re learning from Ernest Jones.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n What Bump saw from Knight<\/p>\n Knight was a tackling machine during his college days at UTEP. He racked up at least 95 total tackles in each of his final three college seasons and led the nation with 84 solo tackles in 2023.<\/p>\n Knight\u2019s abilities as a tackler showed up during his rookie season. He missed just six tackles all season, and his 6.7% missed-tackle rate was fifth among linebackers who played at least 550 snaps, per Pro Football Focus<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cI think we saw a lot of good things. He\u2019s good at sniffing out the run. He recognizes plays,\u201d Bumpus said. \u201cHe\u2019s not twitchy or a big hitter, but he gets the job done. He wraps up. He\u2019s a for-sure tackler. I like this for him. I hope he sees this and uses this as motivation. Accolades never hurt the ego.\u201d<\/p>\n Hear the full conversation at this link<\/a> or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.<\/p>\n More on the Seattle Seahawks<\/p>\n \u2022\u00a0Seattle Seahawks LB Ernest Jones feels \u2018a lot more explosive\u2019 after surgery<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Macdonald has lofty praise for Seattle Seahawks DE DeMarcus Lawrence<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Stacy Rost: Seattle Seahawks have their most QB depth in a long time<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0News and notes from Day 1 of Seattle Seahawks training camp<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Stacy Rost: Derick Hall a highlight for us at open of Seattle Seahawks camp<\/a><\/p>\n
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