Seahawks most underrated player: Bradley McDougald

Many analysts love to mention Seahawks safety Bradley McDougald as a cut candidate. However, what people don’t seem to realize, he is actually one of the premier man-coverage safeties in the NFL.

The Seahawks fan base seems to have already counted Bradley McDougald out. He is playing in the same position as recent second-round pick Marquise Blair. Many Seahawks fans, including myself, want to see Blair on the field more.

Blair just brings another element that has been missing from the defense, nastiness. However, it should not be forgotten just how talented McDougald is. Having Blair on the field should not indicate McDougald as the odd man out.

Perhaps they can co-exist together, along with Quandre Diggs. Blair is an enforcer who plays his best ball on the line of scrimmage. He is still raw in pass coverage, however, shows proficient skills to be a starter. He is a true strong safety.

Meanwhile, McDougald is a swiss army knife who can blend and mold into multiple positions. He is about as versatile of a defensive back as they come. While many consider McDougald as the jack of all trades, master of none. I do want to remind you he is actually one of the top man-to-man coverage safeties in the NFL.

Over the last two seasons, McDougald has the 4th highest man-coverage grade amongst safeties at 85.4. This grade has him above 100 other safeties in the NFL with a minimum of 100 snaps.

During this 2 year stretch, he allowed a passer rating of just 62.7 when he was targeted in man-coverage.  This ranks 5th amongst all safeties. He is one of those players the quarterback simply shouldn’t throw against when he is aligned in man-coverage.

I do understand why many don’t see McDougald as a key player though. He is not a superstar or even a star for that matter. He is not flashy. He doesn’t make a lot of big-time plays. However, what is missed is he actually a very solid football player.

A big part of the reason fans have been down on him is that the secondary has been taken advantage of since Earl Thomas left. My answer is simple, McDougald is not a stand-alone star. He needs to have a solid player next to him to play well. He needs to have a level of trust in his running mate.

The problem was when he played next to Seahawks safeties Tedric Thompson and Delano Hill, the trust wasn’t there. He played a lot more conservatively than he ordinarily would. His one goal was to protect the team from the perceived weakest link. So, he played passively trying to avoid letting the offense get any big plays. This unfortunately left a lot of holes over the middle.

Once Quandre Diggs was brought into the fold, things changed. There was a level of trust that was not there previously. McDougald was back making plays and being aggressive. The difference was night and day.

The need for more LOB

I for one want the threesome of Diggs, Blair and McDougald on the field at the same time. So, my proposition would be to move McDougald to the slot. He possesses the size at 6’1”, 215lbs to man up against bigger slot receivers and tight ends. He also has the instincts to rush the passer efficiently. His best skill is the slot’s biggest requirement in man-coverage.

Meanwhile, this would keep Diggs as the free safety. Marquise Blair would take over as the enforcer at the strong safety. With the combination of Shaquill Griffin and Quinton Dunbar, this could truly be enough to bring back the bad boy image that was once had. This could be the beginning of the Legion of Boom 2.0.