5 players Seattle Seahawks can't afford to lose to injury in 2024
By Lee Vowell
Michael Dickson - Seahawks punter
No punter in the league has been as consistently good as Dickson has since Seattle chose him in the fifth round of the 2018 draft. He has not always ranked first in net yards per punt or punts inside the 20-yard line, but no punter over that time has consistently ranked in the top five of those categories as much as Dickson. He was chosen in the draft to become a defensive weapon, and he has been that.
The issue is that Dickson has had a number of bad defenses with the Seahawks ruining the field position that Dickson gives them. With a good defense, there would be lots of advantages to how well Dickson punts. Time of possession would flip, and Seattle's defense would be better rested, but one reason time of possession has been so against Seattle is that Dickson so routinely backs offenses up, and then they just take their time driving down the field against Seattle's defense.
The drop-off between Dickson and a replacement would be precipitous mostly due to Dickson's consistency. This is why Dickson is on this list as opposed to kicker Jason Myers. Myers has been good, but another kicker might come close to efficiency. The same cannot be said of Dickson.
Next. Lockett's words to describe Macdonald. Tyler Lockett has the best words to describe Mike Macdonald. dark
Devon Witherspoon - Seahawks cornerback
Witherspoon is probably Seattle's best overall defensive player. Heck, he could be the Seahawks' best player overall. His diversity in skill is what sets him apart from most other defenders in the NFL. He covers receivers extremely well, he can chase down opposing quarterbacks on blitzes, and he can tackle very well for a player who weighs less than 200 pounds. His ability to play inside and out as a cornerback is only going to help hide Macdonald's alignments.
Witherspoon's only real concern is staying healthy as he is a bit slight and likes to hit ball carriers so hard. In 2023, he missed three games. Should he play consistently in 16-17 games each year, he has the physical skill to become a Hall of Fame player. This is especially true as Macdonald is going to find a way to put him in the best situations to succeed.
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