Marquise Blair should be flying up Seahawks depth chart

For three years, 2019 second-round pick Marquise Blair has teased Seahawks fans with his potential to be a defensive disruptor. But he often gets hurt. Finally, this preseason, Blair is healthy and ready to go.

A problem for Seahawks fans, however, is that safety Jamal Adams is still dealing with injuries. Adams has broken multiple fingers over the last couple of years, has had shoulder surgery and has missed 9 games. He has missed 27 percent of Seattle’s regular season games the last two years.

Adams’ replacement in those games has been Ryan Neal. Neal hasn’t played poorly, either. In fact, Neal’s play hasn’t been far off what Adams’ might have been. But Neal doesn’t have Blair’s ability to cause chaos and as the Seahawks defense wants to get back to being ultra-aggressive in 2022, playing guys that can create chaos is a must.

When Blair has played the last two years (only 8 games total due to various injuries), he has been stuck at slot corner because Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs have been playing safety. Diggs has been great the last two years. Adams, when he played in 2021, wasn’t as good as 2020 and seems to be aging quickly even though he is only almost 27 years old.

Marquise Blair could be a starter for the Seahawks at safety sooner than later

Blair just turned 25, though, and if he can actually stay healthy should be a high-level safety for five years. The word safety being key there. Blair needs to go back to being a safety full time and someone else needs to play nickelback. His skill set should be used in run support and blitzes. Slot corners don’t do that very much.

If Adams, already dealing with another broken finger in training camp, simply is facing a body that is rapidly breaking down and causing him to miss many games, Blair needs to replace him. Blair is fast and plays with great tenacity and likes to hit opposing players with fierceness. He would be the B in any new edition of the LOB.

He just needs to stay healthy and he is due to be so. Adams, on the other hand, seems to be getting hurt more and more while being less productive. If mid-way through 2022, Adams is the same as he was in 2021 and Blair is healthy, Blair should see more reps next to Diggs.