The Seahawks’ defense doesn’t need a single face to carry it. That’s part of what makes it dangerous.
It’s a deep, balanced group, the kind of unit that can smother teams without leaning on one obvious superstar. Still, if Seattle puts together another elite defense this season, there’s a path for one of its defenders to get real Defensive Player of the Year attention in 2026.
Byron Murphy II looks like the most natural candidate to start changing the conversation up front. Leonard Williams may be the better-known name right now, but Murphy was already closing the gap as a pass rusher last year while functioning essentially as the nose tackle.
He was also a key piece of the league’s best run defense. With another year of growth, he’s getting closer to his prime.
The obstacle is the history of the award. Defensive tackles can win it, but the standard is brutal.
Most of the recent winners at the position trace back to Aaron Donald and J.J. Watt.
Before them, you have to go all the way back to Warren Sapp in 1999 and Dana Stubblefield in 1997. Over the last 30 years, eight Defensive Player of the Year winners have come from that group, and every one of them had at least eleven sacks.
That’s the kind of number Murphy would need to put himself in the mix.
At linebacker, the path is even narrower. The last off-ball linebacker to win the award was Luke Kuechly in 2013.
Before that, it was Brian Urlacher in 2005. Ray Lewis and Brooks were part of a stretch where the position had more juice in award voting, but these days it takes a monster season to break through.
Kuechly won with the NFL’s second-best defense, nearly 10 tackles per game, and four interceptions. Urlacher did it while leading the league’s top defense, piling up 17 tackles for loss and six sacks.
That’s the level Jones would have to chase, and then some. A season in the neighborhood of 170 tackles, five interceptions, and a few sacks would at least get him into the conversation.
Then there’s Emmanwori, who brings a far less conventional profile. He’s more of a slot corner-linebacker-edge rusher blend than a clean fit at any one spot, which makes him hard to compare with recent winners. The closest example is Charles Woodson in 2009, though even that comparison only goes so far.
Woodson’s award-winning season was loaded: 74 tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 2 sacks, 9 interceptions, 3 return touchdowns, 4 forced fumbles, and 18 passes defensed. For Emmanwori to get serious consideration as that kind of utility defender, he’d likely need at least 100 tackles, along with 3-4 sacks and 7-8 turnovers.
Seattle’s defense may be built on the idea of the whole being greater than any one star. But if one player does break through for league-wide recognition, Murphy, Jones, and Emmanwori are the names to watch.
In Other News...
Seahawks Suddenly Face A Backfield Concern They Could Not Afford
The Seahawks had already been managing the usual churn that comes with the backfield, and then Jadarian Price went down late in the fourth quarter with a chest injury. Before leaving, the starting running back had handled the load the way Seattle needed him to, piling up 13 carries for 52 yards and adding one catch for 8 yards as the offense tried to stay balanced.
Prices return is now questionable, which leaves another layer of uncertainty around a position the Seahawks could least afford to see thinned out. Emanuel Wilson stepped in and gave Seattle a lift with nearly 80 yards from scrimmage, but the bigger concern is whether the team has to navigate the next stretch without its starter or wait and see how quickly he can get back on the field. [Read more 🡒]
Sam Darnold Recovery Gives Seahawks Fans Real Reason For Relief
Sam Darnolds Week 1 glute injury had the Seahawks bracing for a longer stretch without their new quarterback, but the early readout has been much better than expected. NFL Networks Ian Rapoport reported that Darnold is progressing quickly enough that he could be back on the practice field in the coming week, a notable step for a team that has already managed to keep winning in his absence.
Seattle has bought itself some breathing room with those victories, which makes the next few days especially important as the schedule starts to tighten up. A return as soon as Week 3 is still possible, though it sounds less likely than a more realistic target of Week 4, and the Seahawks will be watching closely to see how Darnold responds as he moves from rehab to football work. [Read more 🡒]
Seahawks Made A Statement And One Decision Still Demands Debate
The Seahawks 31-7 win over the Cardinals in Week 2 looked like the kind of complete performance that can settle a lot of early-season questions in one afternoon. Seattle got strong quarterback play from Drew Lock while Sam Darnold remained sidelined, and the defense did its part too, with Julian Love standing out in a game that tilted quickly and stayed that way. Even with all of that in place, the contest still featured one sequence that invited a closer look and kept the margin of victory from telling the whole story.
Brian Fleurys failed 4th-and-goal call was the sort of decision that can linger after a lopsided win, because it sat right beside so many encouraging signs for Seattle. The larger picture was positive, especially with Jaxon Smith-Njigba continuing to be viewed through the lens of how former offensive coordinator Shane Waldron handled his development, but the Seahawks also left the field with at least one call that will keep the discussion going long after the final score has faded. [Read more 🡒]