Twelve months in the life of an NFL player is an eternity. A year ago, DK Metcalf was one of the core players on the Seattle Seahawks. Coby Bryant was an intriguing depth piece. Now, Metcalf is a fading memory while Bryant figures to play a significant role in Mike Macdonald’s evolving defense.
That happens every year in the NFL. As fans, we hope for the continued growth of returning stars like Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the continuing dominance of cornerstones like Leonard Williams. We fantasize about the ceilings of free agents like DeMarcus Lawrence and Cooper Kupp.
When one of those newcomers also happens to be the new quarterback, we project even further. Every Seahawks fan has a glass-half-full trajectory for Sam Darnold this season.
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Then there are the rookies, who carry more hopes than any other group. They represent the future, and that future is upon us soon. Grey Zabel, Nick Emmanwori, and Elijah Arroyo all have high expectations for year one. None of us knows how these players – even the returning vets – will perform. But we all have our ideas about what we’d like to see.
Then reality hits. When it does, we have to begin to accept that some of our loftier hopes will not be coming to fruition. General managers go through the same process as fans, only they have to match actions to beliefs. They have to decide whether to keep an underperforming player around. Does he need a bit more seasoning, or was he overrated?
At this time a year ago, everyone knew the Seahawks had potential holes. But no one thought the defensive line was one of them. It was a strength. Things looked pretty good with veterans like Leonard Williams and Jarran Reed on the inside and promising young edge rushers like Boye Mafe and Uchenna Nwosu.
The addition of the 2024 first-round draft pick, Byron Murphy II, made things look even better. The defensive tackle out of Texas brought elite physical traits. Weighing almost 300 pounds, Murphy ran a sub-4.9 forty and showed immense power and explosiveness. He was an unstoppable pass rusher in college who could also play the run.
He seemed like an ideal fit for Mike Macdonald, who had worked wonders with Nnamdi Madubuike in Baltimore before coming to Seattle. The thought was – line up Murphy alongside Williams and Reed at virtually any position across the line, and you would have a dynamic front.
Then the games began.
There was nothing particularly wrong with Murphy’s performance in 2024. There just wasn’t anything particularly special about it either. Murphy's rookie campaign was a disappointment for a first-round rookie with seemingly limitless potential.
The former Longhorn was hurt for a few games, and overall, he probably performed somewhat better than his numbers would indicate. That’s important to remember because those numbers – 36 tackles, a half-sack, and two tackles-for-loss - are mundane at best. Jacksonville got that kind of productivity from journeyman lineman Jeremiah Ledbetter last year.
If Seattle is going to have the kind of defense that can carry an evolving offense over the next season or two, Byron Murphy II has to be a lot better than Jeremiah Ledbetter.
Murphy still has time. Many pros need a year of adjustment when they enter the big time. Murphy was just 21 last year, so it is not a stretch to think he needs to mature more before reaching his lofty potential.
But we need to see those signs in 2025. Seattle still has Williams and Reed. They added veteran edge rusher DeMarcus Lawrence and even retained Johnathan Hankins. Might that indicate Macdonald is not convinced Murphy is ready to take on a significant role this year? As recently as a couple of months ago, it was hard to imagine that Reed and Hankins would return for 2025.
When the 2025 season kicks off, Williams, Reed, Lawrence, and Hankins will all be past thirty. Williams is still elite. Lawrence is coming off an injury, and Reed and Hankins seem to be winding down a little. Seattle needs an infusion of youth and talent on the defensive front.
Byron Murphy has to do what Kobie Turner has done in Los Angeles. Turner played for one season next to future Hall-of-Famer Aaron Donald. Then, when Donald retired, Turner was ready to lead a new young defense. He obviously was not as good as Donald, but the massive drop-off that might have been feared didn’t happen.
Murphy must put himself in that position for the day when the Hawks’ veterans – especially Williams – say goodbye.
Turner took advantage of playing alongside Donald and had an outstanding rookie season. Murphy did not do that. Can he begin showing the extraordinary talent that made him a first-round draft pick in 2025? It would be insane to give up on him at this point, but he needs to show signs early this year.
The Seahawks only drafted two defensive players in 2025, but one of them was Rylie Mills, a talented defensive lineman who can do some of what Murphy should be able to do.
Ideally, Murphy and Mills will form a dynamic tandem for Seattle well past 2030. But NFL careers are short, and no one, even hyper-talented first-round draft picks, can afford to squander several years while they get up to speed. Byron Murphy needs to be going full speed in week one of 2025.