Head coach Mike Macdonald's defense went from 0-60 pretty quickly last year. After half a season where Seattle Seahawks fans might have thought, "Did the team make the right hire?," the answer appears to be a resounding yes. Seattle's defense ranked in the top 10 in many categories by the end of 2024.
General manager John Schneider rewarded Macdonald this offseason by returning nearly all the pieces from last year. The offense saw the greatest rework. The quarterback is gone, and so are two of the top receivers. Even the offensive coaching staff changed.
Seattle's obvious plan is to try to win with an elite defense while the offense is efficient but not explosive. If this works well in the regular season, the team should be even more dangerous in the playoffs. Of course, defense wins Super Bowls.
2026 mock draft has the Seahawks taking a defensive line playmaker
But Macdonald and Schneider will not be content with keeping the same players they have now. Defensive lineman Leonard Williams is great but will be 31 years old during the 2025 season. Fellow D-lineman Jarran Reed has been productive, too, but he will be 32. Seattle needs to get younger.
NBC Sports' Eric Froton thinks he has a good idea. In a too-early 2026 mock draft, Froton has the Seahawks choosing defensive tackle Peter Woods from Clemson. Woods is much more than just a typical DT.
In about 40 percent of his snaps in 2024, he was lined up as an edge rusher. This occurred even though Woods weighs north of 300 pounds. The ability to be versatile and athletic, while also being strong enough to play along the inside of the line, is a rare combination.
He had 20 total pressures last season, but was an even better run-stopper. Over the previous two seasons, he has had 20 run stuffs, even though he shares snaps with a load of good Clemson defensive linemen. If he played for another school, his production would be much higher.
One aspect he does need to work on, however, is fewer missed tackles. He has whiffed on 17.6 percent of his tackle attempts in two years in college, a number that would be higher in the NFL. Size and strength are not the issue for the 6'3" and 315-pound player, so maybe the issue can be easily corrected with better technique.
Many mock drafts for 2026 have Woods going to the Seahawks. The odd part, and this is the case with NBC Sports, is that Seattle chooses Woods higher than they would have been able to pick him in 2025. In other words, many sites expect the Seahawks to be worse next season. That is unlikely to be the case.