> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Key Defensive Questions as Seahawks Open 2025 Training Camp - URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/key-defensive-questions-seattle-seahawks-2025-training-camp/ - Published: 2025-07-23T19:15:08.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-08T05:58:55.000Z - Author: Corbin Smith - Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Tyrice Knight, Byron Murphy II, Josh Jobe, Shaquill Griffin, Boye Mafe, Derick Hall, Nick Emmanwori, Training Camp, Ernest Jones ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/revised-twitter-template--283-29-format-original-1.png) Bringing a long offseason to an end, after months of anticipation, the Seattle Seahawks will finally usher in the 2025 season with veterans reporting to town for the start of training camp on July 23 and sights on snapping a two-year playoff drought. Rolling into the second camp under coach Mike Macdonald, Seattle’s defense anchored by stars Leonard Williams, Devon Witherspoon, and Ernest Jones carries massive expectations after wrapping up 2024 as a top-five scoring defense in the final 10 games. Here are five questions that need to be answered on defense over the course of camp heading towards a Week 1 home matchup with San Francisco: ### 1\. Do the Seahawks have enough depth across the defensive line? Few teams in the NFC, if any, have more star power than the Seahawks have at defensive tackle heading into the 2025 season. Receiving votes for Defensive Player of the Year consideration last year, Leonard “Big Cat” Williams racked up 11 sacks and 16 quarterback hits along with a 92-yard interception returned for a touchdown, putting together the best statistical season of his illustrious career. Next to him, Jarran Reed may have seen a downtick in sack total, but he still surpassed double-digit quarterback hits and remained a stout, reliable run defender playing multiple alignments, while Byron Murphy II outplayed his stat line as a key run stuffer up front with a sneaky good pressure rate despite only registering half a sack and two quarterback hits. With the trifecta of Williams, Reed, and Murphy paired with steady veteran nose tackle Johnathan Hankins for another season, Seattle won’t have any worries if the group stays healthy and avoids injury. But behind those four players, following the departures of Roy Robertson-Harris and Cameron Young, depth stands out as a surprising potential concern for the team for numerous reasons. For one, returning veteran Mike Morris has yet to emerge as a viable contributor, evidenced by the fact he played just three defensive snaps in the last eight games a year ago despite being healthy. Secondly, incoming fifth-round pick Rylie Mills will open camp on the Non-Football Injury list as he recovers from a torn ACL and might not be ready to play until midseason at the earliest. As far as goals for Macdonald and his coaching staff go, figuring out who will plug obvious gaps on the depth chart behind Williams and company should be near the top of the list. In an ideal world, Morris will finally step up and elevate his game as a multi-position chess piece who offers some pass rushing chops from the interior and either Quinton Bohanna or Brandon Pili takes a step forward as a quality reserve nose tackle option behind Hankins. Getting Mills back on the field earlier than expected would also be a cherry on top. But that’s a lot of ifs for the Seahawks, opening the door for undrafted rookie Jared Ivey to impress or recently signed veteran Justin Rogers to make his presence felt in the middle. Depending how things play out, this could be a position requiring reinforcements later this summer. ### 2\. What’s next step for Byron Murphy II, young defenders in trenches? As mentioned previously, for those pointing to Murphy’s stat line as a reason for disappointment regarding the 2024 first-round pick, his performance far outweighed raw numbers. In the three games that he missed due to injury, opponents ran roughshod on the Seahawks, as they surrendered a whopping 173 rushing yards per game in those contests without him. He also ranked in the top 10 among qualified interior defenders in pressure rate (20.8 percent) on True Pass Sets per Pro Football Focus, a strong indication that he was far more disruptive than his sack and quarterback hit numbers would suggest. With that said, Murphy wasn’t drafted in the top 20 to simply stack up subjective pressures. Whether fair or not, defensive linemen are paid based on sacks, tackles for loss, and tangible statistics that provide evidence of disruption, and all eyes will be on him during camp to see how he has progressed as a pass rusher. Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde could help hasten that process by providing him more opportunities as a 3-tech defensive tackle rather than a nose tackle, particularly in clear passing situations, a switch that the coach hinted at way back at the combine in March. Away from Murphy, edge rushers Boye Mafe and Derick Hall also face critical seasons as they near the end of their rookie deals. A knee injury suffered early in the 2024 season seemed to impact Mafe’s overall production, as he recorded three sacks in the first three games and only had three for the rest of the season, causing him to come up well short of replicating his breakout sophomore campaign where he nearly hit double digits. With free agency coming next March, popping off with 10 or more sacks and a high quarterback hit total could equate to top-15 edge rusher money either from the Seahawks or another team. As for Hall, he jumped from zero sacks as a rookie to eight last season, and what he does for an encore will have significant bearing on Seattle’s defense this year as well as determining where he fits into future plans. ### 3\. Can solidified inside linebacker corps live up to lofty expectations in the middle? A year ago at this time, no position on Seattle’s roster faced more immediate and long-term skepticism than the inside linebacker spots, as the team opened camp with veterans Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson on one-year “prove it” contracts after letting future Hall of Famer Bobby Wagner walk in free agency. Neither player lasted the entire season in blue and green, as Baker was shipped to the Titans as part of a trade deadline deal for Ernest Jones and Dodson hit the free agent market after a Week 10 bye, paving the way for rookie Tyrice Knight to step into the lineup for the remainder of the season. While other factors played into the Seahawks’ second half surge into the top five scoring defenses in the NFL, it can be argued those two changes at linebacker had a stronger bearing on those improvements than anything else. Immediately becoming one of the team’s unsung leaders, Jones racked up 94 tackles in 10 games after coming over from Tennessee, adding an interception and a sack for good measure. Meanwhile, Knight grew up quickly alongside his new veteran counterpart, finishing his rookie season with nearly 90 tackles, 1.5 sacks, and a fumble recovery, showing he could have a very bright future in Macdonald’s scheme. Re-signing Jones to a three-year contract in March, the Seahawks now hope to have both of their inside linebackers under contract to grow together for the next three seasons minimum. But there will be more pressure on both players, albeit for different reasons. The 25-year old Jones will have to further elevate his game after receiving a significant pay day, while Knight isn’t a rookie anymore and expectations will be far greater than they were this time last year, particularly when it comes to making more plays in coverage. Once the pads come out later this month, it will interesting to see how much those two improve with another offseason under their belts and a more comfort in Macdonald’s defense. ### 4\. How will battle for third cornerback spot shake out behind Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon? There’s no drama atop Seattle’s depth chart at cornerback with one of the most talented young duos in the league in Woolen and Witherspoon. Since coming into the NFL as a fifth-round pick, Woolen has 11 interceptions in three seasons, while Witherspoon has been a Pro Bowler in each of his first two seasons and nearly hit 100 tackles a year ago after registering four sacks as a rookie. Those two players both could be foundational pieces beyond 2025, with Woolen having the most on the line as free agency approaches next March. But looking towards Week 1, the Seahawks could have quite the compelling battle on tap for the third cornerback spot in nickel and dime sets. Readying for a gridiron boxing match, Josh Jobe sits in one corner after being a revelation a year ago, starting 10 games after being claimed off waivers from the Eagles and impressing as the second boundary defender. In the other corner, even after re-signing Jobe, Shaquill Griffin returned to his old stomping grounds on a one-year deal in June after spending the past four seasons with three other teams, inking a deal worth up to $4 million in 2025. On one hand, Jobe already has shown that he can excel in Macdonald’s defense, giving up just a single touchdown in coverage with an interception and five pass breakups in 10 starts. He’s also significantly younger than Griffin, which could work in his favor as a potential long-term piece if Woolen leaves after this year. But Griffin has previously been a Pro Bowler for the Seahawks and he’s the more athletic of the two players. Coming off a rebound season with the Vikings, his previous track record in the Pacific Northwest coupled with his extensive starting experience could position him to vault back into the lineup, setting the stage for a competition worthy of getting popcorn ready for on the berm at the VMAC. ### 5\. Where does Nick Emmanwori fit into Seattle’s three-headed safety monster plans? Along with Woolen and Witherspoon headlining their cornerback group, the Seahawks return two outstanding starting safeties from last year’s squad in Julian Love and Coby Bryant, who combined to intercept six passes as interchangeable defenders in the back of Macdonald’s defense. Bryant’s re-ascent helped transform the unit in the second half, as he seized his opportunity replacing an injured Rayshawn Jenkins to the point where he Wally Pipp’d the veteran, and Love earned his marks as one of the best all-around safeties in the league. But even with Love and Bryant back, the Seahawks didn’t rest on their laurels once the draft rolled around in April. With Macdonald previously deploying extensive three-safety sets during his time as a defensive coordinator with the Ravens, the team couldn’t resist the opportunity to plug Emmanwori into the mix, trading up for the All-American safety in the second round. One of the most athletic players ever to come into the NFL, the 6-3, 220 pound defender ran a blazing 4.32 40-yard dash and posted a 43-inch vertical at the combine, but he’s more than a workout warrior, as he racked up 88 tackles and four interceptions as a junior, returning two of those picks for touchdowns. Offering the size to excel in the box and the speed/quickness to defend receivers and tight ends in the slot along with playing deep coverage as well, Macdonald shouldn’t have any issues finding ways to implement Emmanwori into Seattle’s defense alongside Love and Bryant. But his presence will have an impact on the playing time of other players, potentially taking Knight off the field in dime sets and putting reserve cornerbacks on notice for reps in nickel packages. There also may be some formations where a defensive lineman checks out of the lineup for him, and how the coaching staff employs all of these possibilities will be worth monitoring closely from the outset of camp into the preseason.