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The Seahawks defense is going to be good in 2021 and here is why

By Andy Excell

Jan 3, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford (97), defensive end Carlos Dunlap (43) and defensive tackle Jarran Reed (90) against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2021; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Poona Ford (97), defensive end Carlos Dunlap (43) and defensive tackle Jarran Reed (90) against the San Francisco 49ers at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 20, 2020; Landover, Maryland, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Carlos Dunlap II (43) sacks Washington Football Team quarterback Dwayne Haskins Jr. (7) in the closing seconds of the fourth quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

Seahawks defensive ends

So the Seahawks look well set for 2021 on the interior of the D line, but how do they look at defensive end? Kerry Hyder and Carlos Dunlap are slated to be the starting DEs for the Seahawks in 2021. Hyder is costing $5-6 million per year, whilst Dunlap re-signed for roughly $8 million a year. Ratings wise Hyder is the better and the younger of the two though.

So for me acquiring Hyder is the better move of the two, especially as you took him from a divisional opponent. Whilst Dunlap has been a great player throughout his career, he is 32 now and did dip in performance last season.

As it stands Hyder ranks 35th and Dunlap 53rd of the 64 starting defensive ends. As a pair, they rank 25th in the league.

The top ten are:

  1. Dallas
  2. Washington
  3. LA Chargers
  4. Denver
  5. San Francisco
  6. Cleveland
  7. Pittsburgh
  8. New Orleans
  9. Arizona
  10. Detroit

So in comparison to the other teams in the league Hyder is an average starter and Dunlap a poor one. With San Fran ranking 5th, Arizona 9th and the Rams 18th at DE, there is a need to address here. Given Dunlap’s age and drop in performance last season, this is why I would advocate taking a replacement in the upcoming draft if possible.

The Seahawks will hope Dunlap is more like the prime Dunlap than he was last season to alleviate the issue. Depth at this position comes from Benson Mayowa and LJ Collier, so cover is there but could be improved upon.

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