'Rare Stuff': Undrafted Drake Thomas Making Magic for Seahawks Defense
Every Batman needs his Robin. Every Han Solo, his Chewbacca. Those sidekick references might be insulting to what Drake Thomas is to the Seattle Seahawks defense alongside Ernest Jones, however.
Not bad for a guy who came into the NFL with zero fanfare as an undrafted free agent out of NC State in 2023. Thomas originally signed with the Raiders that summer before being waived and claimed by the Seahawks soon thereafter, joining the squad still coached by Pete Carroll at that point before suffering a season-ending knee injury.
After the beginning of the 2024 season, Mike Macdonald’s first at the helm in Seattle, one thing became clear to the new head coach. The linebacker room was not up to his standard. Bobby Wagner and Jordyn Brooks had just left in free agency. Seattle signed veterans Tyrel Dodson from Buffalo and Jerome Baker from Miami on one-year deals.
Once the regular season began, Dodson started the first nine games and served as the green-dot communicator. Baker started the first five games at WILL before then-rookie Tyrice Knight filled in during absences as the veteran battled injuries.
The early results were poor, particularly against the run. Through October of the 2024 season, they were allowing nearly 150 rushing yards per game. Macdonald then made a series of swift and decisive moves. The Seahawks traded Baker and a fourth-round pick to the Titans for Jones. They later waived Dodson, who latched on with the Dolphins.
Initially, Knight took over sidekick duties next to Jones at linebacker, and he played well during his rookie season. As the calendar turned to 2025, Thomas earned more and more playing time by impressing Macdonald with his instincts and work ethic. Supplanting Knight as the starter in Week 4, he nearly reached 100 tackles in the regular season, finishing second on the team, while adding 3.5 sacks as a stealthy blitzer.
Through two games in the 2026 season, Thomas is taking over right where he left off and looks even better. Coming fresh off of him receiving an earned two-year, $8 million contract to return to the Pacific Northwest, in Seattle’s 31-7 win over the Cardinals on Sunday, Mike Macdonald admitted he made a mistake on a play call in the first half when Thomas flew in for a four-yard tackle for loss.
“I screwed us up. We were in the wrong front,” Macdonald said. “That’s the type of player Drake is. He makes things right in real time. That is some rare, rare stuff that he was able to do on that play.”
Any chance Macdonald gets to compliment Thomas, he raves about the undrafted linebacker. Through two games, he has 17 tackles, second only to Jones again. During Week 2, only six defenders around the entire NFL had more “stops” (per Pro Football Focus) than he did. He was everywhere. He’s fearless and smart. He’s another one of many examples of this coaching staff and front office finding diamonds in the rough to build a championship roster and he looks to only be getting better.
