Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Byron Murphy Lead Seahawks in Early Pro Bowl Voting
Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Byron Murphy II (91) celebrates a sack of Tennessee Titans quarterback Cam Ward (1) during the second quarter at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn. Credit: Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
As the calendar flips to December, the NFL season roars on to its regular season conclusion in roughly one month. That also means there is enough data to look at who deserves consideration for postseason awards.
The Pro Bowl Games announced their initial voting results on Monday morning. Several Seattle Seahawks are deserving of getting a coveted Pro Bowl nod. Last season, the Seahawks boasted three Pro Bowlers in receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, defensive tackle Leonard Williams, and cornerback Devon Witherspoon.
Smith-Njigba has gone supernova in 2025. Even with a subpar showing against the Vikings on Sunday (two catches for 23 yards), he still leads the entire NFL in receiving yards by over 200 yards. He already owns the franchise single-season receiving yards record, with five games still left to play. He needs to average roughly 125 receiving yards per game down the stretch to break Calvin Johnson’s NFL record for receiving yards in a single season.
Needless to say, Smith-Njigba is one of the best candidates in the entire NFL for a Pro Bowl nod. In fact, he is the second-leading vote getter in the NFL, and the top non-quarterback, just behind quarterback Drake Maye.
Not only should the former Ohio State standout receiver be getting Pro Bowl and All-Pro nods, he should be squarely in the discussion for Offensive Player of the Year. It’s no surprise he is on his way to his second straight Pro Bowl nod.
Joining him, like last year, is a Seahawks defensive tackle. However, it’s the sophomore standout Byron Murphy II, not Williams, appearing on the leaderboard. It’s a little surprising that Williams is once again being disregarded in Pro Bowl voting, but’s not surprising Murphy is in the mix. He is tied for the team lead with seven sacks. He ranks fifth among all interior defensive tackles in the NFL with 29 QB hurries. According to ESPN, Murphy ranks seventh among all interior defensive linemen in pass rush win rate and sixth in run stop win rate. By this metric, he is one of the best defensive tackles in football.
Murphy has enjoyed a dynamic sophomore year after a quiet rookie campaign as a first rounder out of Texas. He is finally playing like the dominant force along the interior line Mike Macdonald and company envisioned. As of now, he is the top NFC vote getter among defensive tackles.
Fan voting is still ongoing. Final rosters also involve coaches’ and players’ ballots as well. This is far from a done deal. Some Seattle teammates may join Smith-Njigba and Murphy in later leaderboards, such as Williams, Ernest Jones, or Charles Cross.
