Too-early prediction of who starts for Seahawks on defense in 2022

The Seattle Seahawks defense will look different in 2022. They have overhauled the defensive coaching staff, likely the base alignment and there will be no Bobby Wagner.

Seattle’s defense should be better and more aggressive and it will need to be much better at dictating pace of play to an opposing offense. A repeat of last year likely means Seattle wins two or three games next year.

However, if the defense can be everything Seahawks coach Pete Carroll hopes, the team can win half its games and be an exciting team for 12s to watch. Here is my best guess currently at who starts in 2022.

Predicting the Seahawks defensive starters in 2022

Defensive line: Shelby Harris, Poona Ford, Quenton Jefferson

I am going to assume a lot of 3-4 base for the Seahawks in 2022. This offseason has been a little unclear as Pete Carroll has said that Seattle will use a lot more 3-4 elements. However, more and more the moves Seattle has made, like releasing Carlos Dunlap, seem to say 3-4 will be the base. And the three listed above would make up a solid, if not spectacular, group.

Linebackers: Jordyn Brooks, Darrell Taylor, Uchenna Nwosu, Cody Barton

No Bobby Wagner for the first time since 2012, so that will be weird. But the Seahawks wanted to get younger and they have. Brooks, Taylor and Nwosu bring youth and aggressiveness and could be special. Or a complete mess.

Cornerbacks: Tre Brown and Sidney Jones (Justin Coleman slot corner)

There are two questions here. Is Brown healthy at the start of the season? If so, he starts. And do the Seahawks see Coleman as an outside corner instead of in the slot? If so, that’s a mistake and they signed Coleman for the wrong reason. Jones was pretty good over the second half of 2021 and if he does well in 2022 could be in Seattle long-term.

Safeties: Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs

Well, I am really going out on a limb picking these two, right? In fact, safety could be the best singular unit on the whole roster. The backups could be Ryan Neal and Marquise Blair and that’s great depth. Adams might be put at linebacker quite a bit on obvious pass rushing downs and Neal replaces him at safety. Other than that, Adams and Diggs are the starters at safety in Seattle for at least the next three years, barring injury.