The Seattle Seahawks might have several candidates to have breakout seasons in 2025. Maybe running back Kenneth Walker III stays healthy, gets a lot of touches in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system, and has 1,500 total yards. Maybe.
Or possibly second-year tight end AJ Barner proves to be a fantastic fit in Kubiak's system and catches 60 passes while being an elite blocker. The new OC likes to use tight ends in his scheme, and Barner is capable of being very good.
But while Walker and Barner could have terrific seasons, a recent article by Pro Football Focus (subscription required) listing their breakout candidate for each position lists an unexpected Seahawk. That player is linebacker Tyrice Knight, who ended up starting nine games and being in on 88 tackles.
Seahawks linebacker Tyrice Knight tapped to be a breakout performer in 2025
The surprise is that while Knight was a fourth-round find in 2024, he wasn't expected to play much at all as a rookie. The Seahawks had signed Jerome Baker and Tyrel Dodson in the offseason, and they were the starters. Both ended up being horrible fits in head coach Mike Macdonald's system, and they were gone by the middle of the season.
Baker was traded to the Tennessee Titans, and in return, Seattle acquired Ernest Jones IV. Jones was very good in the second half of the year and was re-signed in free agency this offseason. Jones and Knight could be the Seahawks' new Bobby Wagner and KJ Wright for the next half-decade.
PFF has a good reason for rating Knight as more of a breakout candidate than any other linebacker in the league. The second-year player is sneaky good at rushing the quarterback, and he might be used more on designed blitzes in 2025.
Knight's pass-rush grade last season was 73.3, which was 20th among all linebackers in PFF's rankings.
Seattle's weak-side linebacker does have some weaknesses he needs to improve, though. To make sure he stays in Macdonald's good graces, Knight needs to be better in coverage. He also needs to not get lost in run support.
Both of those problems could be fixed with experience. No one thought Knight would play as much as he did in 2024, and no one thought he would be as immediately effective as he was. With another offseason learning what it takes to be an NFL LB, Knight could indeed break out in 2025.
Whether he makes the Pro Bowl might be expecting too much, but he could be a lot like KJ Wright. Wright only made one Pro Bowl in his career, but was an essential part of the Legion of Boom. Knight could fit the same role during his time with the Seahawks.