2025 NFL Preview: Seattle Seahawks

• Head coach: Mike MacDonald (second season)
• Pff projected profit total: 8.0
• 2024 Record: 10-7 (second in NFC West)

Biggest strength: secondary

Mike MacDonald has a talented, versatile secondary secondary to work as the basis of his defense. Third -year man Devon Witherspoon has already proven itself as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL and plays outside or in the lock. RIQ Woolen has collected 11 interceptions and 28 Pass -Break -Ups in his first three seasons. Julian Love earned a career-high 82.2 pff figure last season. And the team added the Uber-Athletic Nick Emmanwori in the second round of this year’s design.

Largest weakness: interior offensive line

The lack of lack of Seattle to a productive offensive line of the 2024 sank. That unit is on the 24th in Pff-Run blocking figure and 29th in Pff Pass-Blocking figure, while the fifth highest pressure speed in the NFL is possible. For the most part, the Seahawks will rely on a large number of unproven young players to fill the emptiness, including first round Pick Gray Zabel, who could create a bumpy transition for the new Quarterback Sam Darnold.

Quarterback Spotlight: Sam Darnold

• 2024 pff -grade: 80.7
• Main stat: 88.0 Play-Action Pff Pass Grade (fifth in NFL)

Darnold has compiled by far the most productive season of his career as Viking last season. He left that performance in a $ 100 million contract in Seattle, where he reunities with offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Kubiak served as Quarterbacks coach of Darnold in San Francisco in 2023.

Two things that should remain the same for Darnold in his transition to Seattle are the use of playing action and deep fit. He is in fifth place in the NFL in Play-Action Pff Pass Grade last year while he was 13th in deep pff-passing figure.

Offensive player: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba

Increased slot use and volume helped Jaxon Smith-Njigba enjoy a Breakout season in 2024. His 83.5 pff received figure brought him for the 17th of qualified wide recipients, and he only dropped two steps over 133 goals. Smith-Njigba also led the NFL with 993 receiving yards of the lock while earning a 90.0 pff reception figure in that alignment, sixth best in the NFL.

Defensive player: Di Leonard Williams

Williams achieved a career-high 87.1 pff general figure in his 10th NFL season, which was in fourth place under qualified defensive Tackles-behind Chris Jones, Cameron Heyward and Dexter Lawrence. His work in Run Defense was particularly excellent, because his 79.5 pff Run-Defense numeral and 26 Run-Stops were both top-10 marks in the NFL. His 55 edition was the second most of his career, and he scored his first career -Touchdown against his former team, the New York Jets.

Rookie to watch: Ol Gray Zabel

Zabel has gained experience on all five attacking line positions during his five years North Dakota StateBut he is currently expected to be the starting left guard of the Seahawks. He spent last season playing the left tackle, where he led all FCS attacking rulers with an elite 93.1 PFF pass-blocking level. Zabel’s ability to pass will be crucial for the success of Seattle, as well as his athletics in Klint Kubiak’s Zone Run schedules.

Fantasy Spotlight: RB Kenneth Walker III” Seattle Seahawks

Walker has ruled the best running in the competition, at the head of a 91.3 pff -hasty degree last season. His 0.42 avoided tackles per attempt on average last season arranged first in the 19 -year statistics of PFF for all running backs with at least 50 Carry’s. The second best point of each player with at least 150 in a season was 0.31, which is a draw with Marshawn Lynch 2014 and 2020 Nick Chubb.

New Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak plays to Walker’s strengths with his zone schedule and will give priority to getting him football more than last season. However, Walker has missed 10 games in the last three seasons due to an injury, and his game was negatively influenced in even more while playing due to injury. If he can stay healthy, he will have his best fantasy season so far, but staying healthy is a big IF.

Best bet: RB Kenneth Walker III to go more than 6.5 hasty touchdowns (-115)

Since 2022, Walker has generated a 92.5 pff-hasty figure, a top-six marking over that period. Even in injuries in the injury 2024 that resulted in the least Carry’s (153) of his NFL career, Walker still showed his nose in front of the end zone and seven scores being third season went over this line. The 25-year-old back is a threat to score when he touches the ball and forced 0.27 missed tackles per attempt during his career, the third highest rate in the past three seasons.

Bottom Line

The underrated defense of Seattle is a unit to view this season. The attacking line must protect Darnold well enough to balance this team. If they can and Darnold plays close to almost last season, then there is potential in Seattle in the late season. However, things can be bumpy early if the attacking line is struggling to flow together.