Seahawks 90-Man Rundown: Damarion Williams Counting on Scheme Familiarity, Special Teams Prowess
With their offseason program all wrapped up, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC on July 23, meaning the start of the upcoming season will be here before fans have a chance to blink.
In preparation for year number two under coach Mike Macdonald, I’ll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, dishing out fun facts, exploring best and worst case scenarios, and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2025 campaign.
Well-versed in Macdonald’s scheme after starting his career in Baltimore, does fourth-year veteran Damarion Williams have a legitimate shot to push for a roster spot in a deep and talented Seahawks secondary?
Damarion Williams
Height/Weight: 5-10, 183 pounds
2024 Stats: DNP (Practice Squad)
Named a NJCAA All-America First Team selection at Highland Community College, Williams transferred to Houston in 2019 and immediately jumped into the starting lineup for the Cougars, registering 73 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, and a team-high two interceptions in 12 starts. In a pandemic-shortened 2020 season, he started all eight games with 27 tackles and seven pass breakups. He wrapped up his collegiate career with 63 tackles, one interception, and eight pass breakups as a senior, leading to him being selected in the fourth round of the 2022 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens, who had Macdonald as their defensive coordinator at the time.
As a rookie, Williams saw significant action for the Ravens with 225 defensive snaps, playing the vast majority of those plays in the slot. However, he struggled with those opportunities, allowing three touchdowns in coverage without any interceptions and only a single pass breakup. An injury limited him to just one game in 2023 and he only played special teams in that contest. Baltimore waived him last August and after a brief spell on the practice squad, he was released and joined the Seahawks in late October, eventually signing a future/reserve deal in January. He will likely compete for snaps in the slot along with potentially being a kick and punt return option.
Fun Fact: Playing well above his weight class, Williams graded out as Pro Football Focus’ second-best run defending cornerback (91.2) and ranked fourth in run stops at the position during his final season at Houston in 2021.
Best Case Scenario: Already familiar with Macdonald’s scheme from his time at Baltimore, Williams frequently gets his hands on the football in training camp and exhibition games out of the slot while earning himself a role as one of the team’s gunners on punt coverage, snagging one of the last roster spots.
Worst Case Scenario: Even with his best efforts in August, Williams doesn’t receive many snaps on defense with several players ahead of him on the depth chart in the slot, including rookie Nick Emmanwori as a big nickel, leading to his release before re-signing to the practice squad.
What to Expect in 2025: With a full season of NFL experience under his belt, Williams has that advantage over incoming undrafted rookies, and his previous time working with Macdonald in Baltimore should only further help his cause. Dating back to his stellar college career at Houston, he has always played with great physicality and toughness despite being under 185 pounds while also posting solid, if unspectacular, ball production numbers, and Macdonald clearly valued his skill set and mindset by choosing to bring him to the Pacific Northwest last year after being released by the Ravens.
Nonetheless, Williams could have a difficult time standing out in a crowded defensive backfield, particularly given the exciting options Macdonald has at his disposal to rotate down to the slot in different sub packages. Devon Witherspoon will continued to be a featured weapon sliding inside, where his hard hitting and blitzing talents can be better maximized than if he’s on the boundary, while Emmanwori’s rare athletic gifts at 6-3, 220 pounds will make him a fun alternative with the tools to defend speedy receivers as well as big-bodied tight ends. Julian Love, Coby Bryant, and Shemar Jean-Charles also have experience playing the nickel role to varying degrees, which will make finding snaps for Williams all the more challenging and likely put the practice squad as his ceiling unless he stars on special teams.
