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# More Than a Sidekick: Drake Thomas Becoming Essential to Seahawks’ Defense
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/more-than-a-sidekick-drake-thomas-becoming-essential-seattle-seahawks-defense/
- Published: 2026-01-21T04:24:05.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-08T05:56:45.000Z
- Author: Nick Lee
- Tags: Analysis, Seahawks, Drake Thomas, Ernest Jones

\[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="3781"\]

![  Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) tackles San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) during the first half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images  ](https://storage.ghost.io/c/1d/f2/1df2f77b-83dd-4bc0-a6d2-6d1bb5df89a3/content/images/2026/10/usatsi_28032087-format-original.jpg)

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Drake Thomas (42) tackles San Francisco 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey (23) during the first half in an NFC Divisional Round game at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Ng-Imagn Images \[/caption\]

When most people think about the dominant Seattle Seahawks defense of 2025, names like Leonard Williams, Devon Witherspoon, or Nick Emmanwori come to mind. Even among linebackers, Ernest Jones is likely the first name to escape the lips of any fan.

That’s for good reason too, as Jones has been instrumental in what Mike Macdonald has spent two years building in Seattle on defense. Jones’ 126 tackles and five interceptions earned himself a Second Team All-Pro nod.

Still, there is another linebacker on this dominant Seattle defense who deserves praise. A player who began this year not even as a starter. Tyrice Knight took the bulk of the snaps as the off-ball linebacker opposite of Ernest Jones through Week 3\. Macdonald utilizes multiple off-ball linebackers at some times, but not others, depending on the matchup. Macdonald clearly has taken a liking to Drake Thomas.

“(Drake is) incredibly instinctive, well-prepared, good change of direction and sudden mover with fluidity. There’s no stiffness when he moves…He’s an explosive mover,” Macdonald told 710 ESPN Seattle following the Week 18 win over the 49ers. 

Macdonald is a coach that values trust. He needs to be able to trust every guy on the field for his defense to work and if that trust falters or fails, that player sees less or even no playing time in Seattle moving forward. Thomas has been the opposite. The undrafted product out of NC State has built trust brick-by-brick with Macdonald and his teammates. Now, it’s clear he can get the job done.

Thomas finished the regular season with 96 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and of course a critical red zone interception when a ball bounced off Christian McCaffrey which helped the Seahawks seal that win over the 49ers in the season finale, along with the NFC West title and No. 1 seed in the NFC. 

Only Jones and Witherspoon were graded higher by Pro Football Focus in Seattle’s dominant defensive performance last Saturday than Thomas’ 88.4 mark. He recorded six tackles, including a tackle for loss. 

Since Week 10, Thomas is the seventh-highest graded linebacker in all of the NFL. He is yet another example of Macdonald pushing the right buttons to get “his guys” on the defense, operating it to perfection. It’s not always sexy, but it’s always done right. 

Thomas’s journey, going from a lightly-heralded college linebacker to a defensive cornerstone, has also energized fans and teammates alike, with many pointing to his intensity, tenacity, and football IQ as catalysts for the Seahawks’ second-level performance. While traditional box score metrics don’t always capture his full value, his presence has given Seattle consistency and reliability at linebacker, a unit that faced depth challenges due to injuries throughout the season.

Thomas isn’t “Ernest Jones’ sidekick” at linebacker. He is a full-fledged key cog that helped make this defense the No. 1 unit in all of football in 2025, and that has this team one win away from making the Super Bowl.