Analysis: Investigating Seahawks’ Key Defensive Position Battles Entering OTAs
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Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Brandon Pili (95) takes part in drills during mini-camp at Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Brashear-Imagn Images [/caption]
Set to kick off OTAs next week at the VMAC, the Seattle Seahawks will welcome back plenty of familiar faces from their Super Bowl squad. Even with Riq Woolen, Coby Bryant, and Boye Mafe gone, 11 of the 13 players who logged at least 700 defensive snaps in 2025 remain under contract heading into the new season, presenting rare continuity for a defending champion.
Thanks to the minimal changes, Seattle will open the final phase of the offseason program without many starting jobs up for grabs on defense, leaving rotational reserve roles as the main competitions to play out over the summer. The entire interior defensive line and linebacker corps will return from last year’s Super Bowl squad along with the majority of key starters back in the secondary, headlined by All-Pro Devon Witherspoon and rising star Nick Emmanwori.
But while few starting jobs may be on the line, the Seahawks should still have some enticing competitions on tap on the defensive side of the football when they hit the practice field next week, including a pair of significant openings to replace Woolen and Bryant in the secondary that will be buoyed by using four draft picks at the two positions last month.
Which battles offer the most intrigue with two months until the start of training camp? Considering projected favorites, top threats, X-factors, and dark horses, here’s a close look at what to watch at three particular positions this spring:
Nose Tackle
Favorite: Brandon Pili
Top Threat: Deven Eastern
X-Factor: J.R. Singleton
Dark Horse: Uso Seumalo
Breaking through after spending most of the 2024 season on Seattle’s practice squad, Pili emerged as a valuable component of the defensive line last season as the lone traditional nose tackle on the active roster. While there were a few games where Macdonald held him out as a healthy scratch in favor of activating a player at a different position for strategic reasons, he suited up for a career-high 13 regular season games, producing 12 tackles on 152 defensive snaps. He also added a shocking forced fumble on kick coverage at 330-plus pounds, starring on one of the most improbable plays of the entire season to help earn a new one-year, $2 million deal. That contract would suggest he’s planned to play a similar role in 2026.
However, Pili has clear limitations beyond being an early down run stuffer, and the arrival of Eastern as a seventh round pick out of Minnesota has the potential to add another dimension to the nose tackle spot. Possessing levers for arms at 6-5, 315 pounds, he racked up 32 pressures and 4.5 sacks in his final two seasons at Minnesota, demonstrating disruptive pass rushing chops in the rugged Big Ten that could translate to the next level. Consistency has been his biggest issue coming into the league, particularly when it comes to maintaining pad level and gap integrity versus the run. But if he can show progress addressing those flaws this offseason by taking to coaching, he has a higher ceiling than his veteran counterpart and could scratch his way into playing time as a rookie at some point.
Eastern isn’t the only young player who could surprise and enter the mix as a viable competitor either. Much as Pili did a few years ago, Singleton “redshirted” last season as an undrafted rookie on the practice squad and did not suit up for any games during the Super Bowl run. Still, the former Iowa State standout should return to the field bigger and stronger thanks to the benefits of a full offseason program and his quick twitch as a penetrator from the nose and 3-tech positions could shine even brighter after impressing in the preseason last summer, giving him an outside chance to crack the rotation.
One of just seven undrafted rookies to sign with the Seahawks this year, Seumalo boasts similar size (6-3, 330 pounds) and a similar athletic profile to Pili. He rarely made an impact as a pass rusher in 50 games at Kansas State, generating a grand total of 19 pressures, but he held up well as a stout run defender and also demonstrated a penchant for swatting down passes at the line of scrimmage with five deflections. It’s possible he could be a slightly younger Pili with a bit higher ceiling in time, but he will be a tougher player to make any evaluations on until the pads come out in the summer.
Third Cornerback
Favorite: Nehemiah Pritchett
Top Threat: Julian Neal
X-Factor: Noah Igbinoghene
Dark Horse: Andre Fuller
While a third cornerback isn’t technically viewed as a starter in most defenses, the Seahawks deployed five or more defensive backs on the field together more than any team in the NFL last season. According to TruMedia, Macdonald’s defense used nickel or dime sets 92.2% of the time, making Seattle the only team to eclipse 90% for the 2025 season. The trio of Devon Witherspoon, Riq Woolen, and Josh Jobe each played at least 721 defensive snaps as a result, leaving a significant void to be filled now that Woolen has left to join the Eagles.
As the “incumbent” of sorts, Pritchett logged 91 snaps in reserve duty for the ‘Hawks in his second season and his performance couldn’t have been better classified than as a mixed bag. Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers picked on him in a Week 5 loss, targeting the former fifth round pick for a pair of touchdown passes after he replaced a concussed Woolen in the third quarter. But later in the season against the Cardinals, he produced two outstanding pass breakups, including dislodging a potential touchdown out of the hands of Marvin Harrison Jr. in the end zone on a play that drew praise from Macdonald post game. Buttoning up his assignments in coverage and continuing to improve as a tackler will be imperative if he’s going to earn a starting role at the second boundary corner spot out of camp.
Pritchett will have to contend with a host of newcomers, both through free agency and the draft, starting with Igbinoghene. Formerly a first round pick for the Dolphins, the ex-Auburn star has never been able to fulfill his promise as a top-32 selection, bouncing around with three different teams in six seasons. However, the Seahawks have tried to sign him the past couple of years and he’s still only 26 years old, offering the ability to play both on the boundary and in the slot. Talent has never been a question for Igbinoghene and if Macdonald can coax him in the right direction to play at his best, it wouldn’t be a surprise if he plays a big role with his new team.
Of the rookies set to compete, Neal should get the first crack to show he can make the jump from one-year starter at Arkansas to being a key member of Seattle’s secondary. The team invested a third round pick in him due to his physicality as a press cover corner and defending the run, valuing his toughness and mentality to go with plus-size and 4.49 speed. He’s still only played cornerback for three years, however, and there will likely be growing pains defending faster NFL receivers before he’s ready to be unleashed as a regular part of Macdonald’s defensive back rotation. Facing off against Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Rashid Shaheed every day will put him to the ultimate test.
On the flip side, even coming from a smaller non-Power 4 program at Toledo, Fuller may be a bit further ahead of the curve technique wise than Neal, at least initially. Another cornerback who takes pride in defending the run and didn’t give up many explosive plays during his time with the Rockets, his poise and underrated athletic traits could vault him into the discussion for playing time, especially if he manages to outplay his draft class counterparts in Neal and fellow seventh rounder Michael Dansby. Where he stands in the rotation coming out of OTAs will be telling on his trajectory heading into his first NFL training camp.
Nickel/Dime Safety
Favorite: Ty Okada
Top Threat: Bud Clark
X-Factor: Rodney Thomas II
Dark Horse: Maxen Hook
The inclination to utilize extra defensive backs more than any other NFL team last year didn’t simply impact the cornerback group, as the Seahawks played three safeties on the field with great frequency. Snap totals were skewed by the fact Julian Love missed a large chunk of the season with a hamstring injury, thrusting Okada into 11 total starts, as well as Nick Emmanwori’s emergence as an every down player. Still, those three players and now-departed Coby Bryant all played over 450 defensive snaps last season, and Macdonald will have some tough decisions - a good problem, of course - to make figuring out the reworked rotation in 2026.
In the aftermath of Bryant’s exit for Chicago in free agency, Okada - who re-signed on an exclusive rights free agent tender - has more than earned the first crack to show that last year wasn’t a fluke and he can be an every down safety in the NFL. Along with 65 tackles, he tallied an interception, five pass breakups, and 1.5 sacks, providing valuable contributions in a variety of ways playing all over the formation that earned the respect of Macdonald and his teammates. Set to turn 27 in June, his best football may yet be in front of him, and seeing him pick up where he left off last year would be a net positive for Seattle.
But the Seahawks didn’t rest on their laurels and simply hand Okada a starting job either. Always valuing disruptive, instinctive players who can create turnovers in bunches, the team snagged Clark with their second round selection at No. 64 overall, bringing one of college football’s most productive interception machines to town as a picturesque successor for Bryant. He picked off 15 passes in his final four years at TCU, adding 20 pass breakups for good measure, doing so while playing free safety, strong safety, and slot cornerback for the Horned Frogs. Such versatility will come in handy right out of the gate, giving him more options to begin his push for playing time in the final phase of the offseason program.
Behind Okada and Clark, Seattle signed Thomas, a former two-year starter in Indianapolis, along with bringing back D’Anthony Bell in free agency. Both players likely will see some work with the first and second-team defenses in OTAs, hoping to prove they belong in the discussion for playing time in sub-packages as well as special teams. If there’s a true wild card, Hook joined the Seahawks off waivers from the Eagles midway through the 2025 season and they brought him back on a reserve deal in January, hoping to see him develop as another defender with the size and traits to play both safety spots at a high level. He’s likely still a practice squad project, but at the same time, making some plays in OTAs could position him to exceed expectations even in a crowded position group.
