The interior of the Seattle Seahawks defensive line is in a state of transition. Of all the players who lined inside for the Hawks in 2024, only two are under 30, and one of those players, Quinton Bohanna, bounced up and down between the practice squad and the team all season. It seems almost a certainty that Johnathan Hankins will not be back in 2025, and Jarran Reed may well be following him out the door. Mid-season acquisition Roy Robertson-Harris was marginal at best.
The Seahawks are not worried about patching a major hole at tackle because they have one of the best in the entire league, Leonard Williams. Calling Williams a tackle is too limiting. He can line up anywhere along the line. Next to him, Byron Murphy II did not have the dominant rookie season some of us expected, but there’s no reason to doubt his eventual productivity. Together, Williams and Murphy should be just fine, regardless of how Mikle Macdonald chooses to employ them.
But the Hawks will need depth, and if the past is any indication, Macdonald may favor stouter interior defenders like he had in Baltimore with the mammoth Michael Pierce. With Williams and Murphy in place, it seems highly unlikely that John Schneider would shell out big money for another defensive tackle. That’s fine this season because barring the unforeseen, there are no premiere interior defenders coming onto the market. No Chris Jones or Dexter Lawrence to open up the vault for.
The Seattle Seahawks should chase these defensive tackles in free agency
Still, there are several quality free agents who would look very good in action green. As we have done for the offensive skill positions, let’s look at three options. I won’t call the top tier “elite” because I don’t think there is an elite prospect available. So this will be more like two midrange players and then one from the bargain bin.
One thing that Macdonald saw first-hand in Baltimore is how a team can never have enough quality linemen. Even if your team is fortunate enough to remain healthy, players like Williams and Murphy will benefit from getting rest every few series.
With that in mind, here are three interior defensive linemen Seattle could consider signing in 2025.
Mid-Tier 1 - Osa Odighizuwa, Dallas Cowboys
Odighizuwa does not have the size that Macdonald may want, but after languishing in mediocrity for most of his four years in Dallas, he really began to come on in the second half of 2024. Over the final games, he recorded four sacks, four tackle-for-loss, and an exceptional 16 QB hits. He is not a big run-stuffing tackle, but he uses his quickness to generate pass pressure, and he is effective enough against the run to be far more than a third-down specialist.
Odighizuwa was a third-round pick out of UCLA in 2021. He turns 27 just before the season. He is growing into an above-average every-down lineman who offers some positional flexibility. Dallas would seem interested in resigning him, and in a down year at the position, he is likely to draw a lot of other interest.
It doesn’t seem as if Seattle would get into a bidding war with either the Cowboys or any other team, but if his price remains modest, Odighizuwa would form a very potent trio with Williams and Murphy.
Mid-Tier 2 - Levi Onwuzurike, Detroit Lions
Onwuzurike was chosen one round ahead of Odighizuwa in the 2021 draft. His time with Detroit has been marred by injuries which cost him most of his second year. He was finally able to stay healthy this season, and after Alim McNeill went down, Onwuzurike established himself as the Lions' best interior defender.
Onwuzurike is very similar to Odighizura in terms of size and style. Like the Cowboy, he is not a run stuffer, but he uses his quickness very effectively to disrupt along the line. He recorded at least one QB hit in seven of his last eight games. Also like Odighizura, he offers flexibility along the line.
His best spot may be as a 3-4 defensive end, but he can line up as a more traditional tackle, especially if he is part of a rotation. I would favor the Cowboys ever so slightly, but both players could be very productive for the Hawks. It is difficult to predict whether Onwuzurike's past injuries will suppress his price. If it does, the Hawks should certainly explore signing him.
Bargain Bin - Carl Davis, Washington Commanders
Carl Davis is more like the type of player John Schneider might be comfortable in signing. For one thing, he already did. In 2023, Davis had a cup of coffee in Seattle, though he never moved off the practice squad. More importantly, Davis has the size that Macdonald may want.
At 6’5” and 320 pounds, he can play in the middle of the line and tie up blockers. He will be 33 by the time the 2025 season begins, and he has bounced around to eight different teams since entering the league in 2015. Mike Macdonald was a low-level assistant with the Ravens when they took him in the third round.
He only had one game in 2024 in which he played serious snaps, but he performed well, helping the Commanders defeat the Eagles. He would come in on a one-year, value contract to help fill the gap left by Reed and Hankins. At this point in his career, Davis could do that, allowing Williams and Murphy some rest.
It’s entirely possible that Mike Macdonald chooses to hang onto Robertson-Harris and looks to see what he can get out of Quinton Bohanna as his primary depth player along the line. Like Davis, Bohanna has a more traditional interior lineman size. I would not be shocked if Macdonald looked into Michael Pierce’s availability.
The Raven nose tackle had some injury issues in 2024 and seems to have fallen into a backup role. He could be on the trading block. He is 32 and would not be a long-term answer, but if the asking price isn’t too high, I think Macdonald would love to have him in support of his starters.