2025 has been one long coming-out party for Seattle Seahawks’ linebacker Drake Thomas. The third-year vet out of NC State is expected to start his 14th game of the year in the regular season finale against San Francisco – the first start of his career. He increased his defensive snap counts from a grand total of 41 in his first two seasons to 733 and counting this year.
It’s safe to say that Thomas has already arrived as a legitimate starter on a quality NFL defense. However, it is equally true that Saturday night will serve as something of a capstone project for his breakout season. If we’re giving that capstone a code name, it would be “stop 23.”
San Francisco is on a roll heading into the playoffs. They averaged 42 points per game in December. Brock Purdy is playing at a very high level, and in George Kittle, Ricky Pearsall, and Jauan Jennings, he has some formidable weapons. But everyone knows that stopping San Francisco means stopping Christian McCaffrey, the best all-purpose back in the NFL over the past decade.
Drake Thomas needs to come up big in Seattle’s Week 18 showdown
Of course, stopping McCaffrey does not fall on Thomas alone. It will take the entire defense. Look for Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde to get defensive backs Devon Witherspoon or Nick Emmanwori on McCaffrey whenever possible.
But there will be times when the Seahawks’ linebackers – Thomas and Ernest Jones IV – will be in coverage. And there will be even more plays when those same linebackers will be tasked with getting the 49ers’ star on the ground when he runs behind a very good offensive line.
In Week One, Seattle limited McCaffrey to just 69 yards on 22 carries. He did not find the end zone on any of those runs or on the nine passes he caught.
But this is not the same McCaffrey who began the season. That runner did not top 70 yards on the ground until Week Seven. He scored four TDs in those first six games, three of them through the air.
In his last six games, he is averaging 92 yards running and has scored six touchdowns. He has also caught 84% of his targets while finding the end zone three additional times. That’s nine touchdowns in six games. That’s what Drake Thomas is up against.
Thomas alternated snaps early in the season with Tyrice Knight, playing alongside Jones. Thomas tended to be in on obvious passing downs. As Knight has battled through a series of injuries, Thomas has seized the chance to prove he can be an every-down linebacker.
But he is at his best in pass coverage. On those occasions when the Seahawks’ talented secondary is otherwise engaged, Thomas is likely to be the one marking McCaffrey.
McCaffrey is essentially a wide receiver with the skills to play running back. He is very difficult for a good defensive back to cover, so linebackers tend to have no chance. The key for Thomas will not be to break up passes intended for the back. It will be to get him on the ground as soon as he makes the catch.
If McCaffrey snares nine catches on ten targets, that’s OK, provided he doesn’t also rack up 50+ yards after the catch and several first downs
That’s what Thomas needs to do. In recent weeks, the long season and the significantly increased snaps may be taking their toll. Thomas has missed a few too many tackles. Against the Rams, he allowed three first downs when he was in coverage. That is exactly what cannot happen on Saturday night.
It’s not fair to put this burden entirely on Thomas. I wouldn’t be surprised if Emmanwori is shadowing McCaffrey on a lot of snaps. But when he runs, and occasionally when he is running a pass pattern, Drake Thomas is going to be the key defender. If he plays the 49s to a draw, that’s a win for the Hawks. If McCaffrey runs wild, it is hard to see how Seattle wins the game