Like every NFL team, the Seattle Seahawks need a strong pass rush to keep an offense honest. If a team knows they can drop back and pass with ease, no matter how good Seattle's secondary is, the defense will fail. On paper, the Seahawks have a good edge rush group, but on paper only currently.
The team announced its first unofficial ("unofficial" being a key word here) depth chart on Monday ahead of Seattle's first preseason game of 2025. That game will take place on Thursday at Lumen Field against Pete Carroll and his Las Vegas Raiders. The Seahawks will not play their starters.
Risking a key player to injury in a glorified practice is silly. And the team's edge rush group cannot be risked further. Seattle added edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence this offseason, and as it turns out, that move was an absolute need.
The Seattle Seahawks edge rush group is thin behind DeMarcus Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Derick Hall
If the unofficial depth chart was a real one for Week 1 of the regular season, and there is every chance that could be the case, Lawrence will start on one side while Boye Mafe or Derick Hall would start on the other. Lawrence, Hall, and Mafe are a solid group, but should one of them be injured, the Seahawks are in trouble.
Uchenna Nwosu would be a good fourth to add to the trio above, but he is likely to start the season on the physically unable to perform list after having offseason knee surgery. No timetable is known for his return, and potentially not until Week 5.
Behind Lawrence, Hall, and Mafe are Connor O'Toole, Jamie Sheriff, Jalan Gaines, and Tyreke Smith. That is a very underwhelming list of names. Plus, Lawrence missed 13 games last season, and he is 33 years old. Assuming he will stay healthy for the entirety of 2025 might be foolish.
The Seattle Seahawks are capable of being a very good team, but lots of things have to go perfectly. The revamped offense needs to prove to be as efficient and turnover-averse as hoped. The defense, which finished in the top 10 of the league in points allowed last season, needs to be elite throughout the season.
And the team cannot have any other edge rushers get hurt early in the season. After DeMarcus Lawrence, Boye Mafe, and Derick Hall, there is no proven quality depth. That makes for a thin line between a disruptive defense and one that gets passed on easily.