The Seattle Seahawks are heating up at just the right time. Outside of a stumble against the division-rival Rams, they’ve been steamrolling opponents with a physical, relentless brand of football that’s starting to feel like their identity. The offense has had its moments, but it’s the defense that’s been setting the tone-and keeping offensive coordinators up at night.
Let’s start up front, where Seattle’s defensive line has been straight-up dominant. Both of their interior linemen are leading the league in sacks among their position group, a rare and telling stat.
And now, with Jarran Reed returning to the mix, that unit gets even deeper and more disruptive. This is a group that doesn’t just collapse pockets-they destroy them.
Behind that line, Ernest Jones IV and Boye Mafe have been patrolling the middle of the field with authority. Jones IV, in particular, has emerged as the heartbeat of the defense, leading the team in tackles by a wide margin. He’s been everywhere-sniffing out screens, plugging run gaps, and dropping into coverage like a seasoned vet.
But the real nightmare for opposing offenses? That secondary.
Seattle’s back end is stacked with talent, and they’re playing like it. Riq Woolen continues to flash the size-speed combo that made him a breakout star last season.
Rookie Nick Emmanwori has stepped in and looked anything but inexperienced. And the safety duo of Julian Love and Coby Bryant is giving the Seahawks versatility and physicality on the back end.
And then there’s Devon Witherspoon.
PFF just dropped their latest grades, and the highest-rated defensive back in the entire NFL? That would be Witherspoon.
Not Sauce Gardner. Not Patrick Surtain II.
Witherspoon.
Now, if you’re just box score hunting, you might do a double take. He’s got 33 tackles, one pick, and five passes defended.
Solid, but not eye-popping. So how does he land at the top of the PFF leaderboard?
Because PFF isn’t just measuring what shows up in the stat sheet. They’re grading the full picture-coverage technique, positioning, impact on the play, even when the ball doesn’t come his way. And that’s the key with Witherspoon: teams just aren’t throwing at him.
He’s only been targeted 40 times this season, ranking 16th among defensive backs who’ve started all 13 games. That’s not a coincidence.
That’s respect. Quarterbacks are looking elsewhere because when they go at Witherspoon, bad things happen.
And when he is involved, he’s making it count. He’s also second among all DBs in pressures, showing how Seattle is using him creatively-sending him off the edge, disrupting timing, and forcing offenses to adjust.
If he keeps this up, Witherspoon’s heading toward his third Pro Bowl in as many seasons. But more than that, he’s helping anchor a defense that’s playing with swagger, depth, and discipline. The Seahawks are building something real on that side of the ball-and Witherspoon is right at the center of it.
Seattle’s defense isn’t just good. It’s starting to look elite.
And if the offense finds its rhythm down the stretch? The rest of the NFC better pay attention.