'I Got My Swag': K'Von Wallace Thriving in Seattle Seahawks' Revamped Secondary

Landing on his feet in the Pacific Northwest after playing for three teams in 2023, K'Von Wallace brings great confidence to the Seahawks defense.

Seattle Seahawks safety K'Von Wallace communicates with cornerback Lance Boykin during a drill at training camp. / Corbin Smith/Seahawks On SI

RENTON, Wash. - Racking up his frequent flyer miles, veteran safety K'Von Wallace endured a challenging 2023 season bouncing around with three different teams, including finishing the year with the Tennessee Titans.

Hitting free agency once again this spring, Wallace had one priority that stood at the top of his wish list as he considered where he would play next. The well-traveled defensive back wanted to land somewhere we he could be himself and thus perform to the best of his ability, and it didn't take long for that destination to emerge once he took a visit to the Pacific Northwest to meet with new Seattle Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald and his staff.

Not needing anymore persuasion about his strong fit in Seattle's complex, versatile defensive scheme with Macdonald at the controls and an immediate connection with safeties coach Jeff Howard, Wallace signed the dotted line on a one-year contract the next day hoping he found a long-term home.

"When I came on my visit, I felt something special, a place I feel like I can be myself," Wallace said prior to Thursday's practice. "I got green hair, I got my swag, I got my my own identity. Not everywhere, you can be yourself, so I felt like myself here. To come here and to know there's an opportunity to make an impact on his team, with this defense, I felt I could do that this year."

For most players, the amount of adversity Wallace faced last season would have been difficult to battle through and tested their fortitude. After being waived by the Eagles at the end of training camp, the former fourth-round pick out of Clemson landed with the Cardinals, eventually working his way into a starting role, only for the team to cut him in late October following the return of star Budda Baker from injury in what coach Jonathan Gannon called a "numbers game."

Luckily, Wallace wasn't without a team for long, however, as the Titans claimed him off waivers the next day. As he did in Arizona, he eventually vaulted into a starting role at the end of the season for Tennessee, managing to start 12 out of 17 games played with two teams.

Looking back at his performance last season, Wallace has a different perspective than most would if they were wearing his shoes. Rather than dwell on the fact he changed teams three times, he's entering his first season with the Seahawks with a shot of unexpected confidence due to how well he played for both the Cardinals and Titans a year ago, and statistically, it's not hard to see why he's proud of what he accomplished, especially given the circumstances.

Aside from setting career-highs in tackles (89) and pass breakups (five), Wallace earned a respectable 68.1 overall grade from Pro Football Focus, allowing just one touchdown and less than nine yards per reception in coverage while adding four pressures on 13 blitz attempts. Playing all over the field, he logged more than 300 snaps at free and strong safety as well as 115 snaps in the slot, demonstrating great positional flexibility.

"I learned that, you put me anywhere on God's green earth, I'm gonna find a way to make plays," Wallace stated. "If you are a staff that finds a way to trust me to go out there and make plays, that's exactly what I'm gonna do. I felt like the opportunities I was given, I took full advantage of. I was a backup with the Eagles, came into Arizona as a backup, and I ended up starting out there and I did the same at Tennessee. When I went to Tennessee, I wasn't a starter right away, I had to wait two or three games to go out there and play. I did exceptionally well in practice to the point where they gave me an opportunity out on the field and I did exceptionally well. I feel like if you're a staff that trusts in me and my ability, you trust that I can go out there and make plays for you."

Paired with returning Pro Bowler Julian Love and fellow free agent signee Rayshawn Jenkins, Wallace has looked right at home as one of several Swiss army knives at Macdonald's disposal in the first week of training camp. Seeing plenty of action with the first-team defense as either a third safety or a "big nickel" in the slot, he's frequently gotten his hands on the football, including intercepting backup quarterback Sam Howell in the end zone in the first padded practice.

From Wallace's view, Seattle has the talent and versatility in the secondary to throw as many as seven or even eight defensive backs on the field at the same time, as he believes he and Jenkins can step in as linebackers in the box if called upon. Love, converted cornerback Coby Bryant, rising star Devon Witherspoon, and veteran Artie Burns all can play multiple positions at a high level as well, which bodes well for Macdonald playing mad scientist with personnel groupings to help orchestrate pre-snap confusion for opposing offenses.

Count Wallace among those who has been actively pleading with Macdonald to unleash dime packages with six defensive backs or even go with a dollar formation with eight of them on the field at the same time.

"Of course, we've all been doing very, very well in the back end," Wallace smiled. "Coby, Ty [Okada], me, Jenkins, Love, we've got [Marquise] Blair who just came here and is doing well. We've got 'Spoon and Artie Burns, who've been killing it all of training camp so far. We've just got guys who can go out there and play... We've got a lot of versatility on the back end that he can exploit use. This is explosive defense, so you've got to put guys who are very explosive out there."

Many players would have been discouraged by a season like the one Wallace went through in 2023. But while he would have preferred to stick with one team rather than be waived twice, he's confident his production from a year ago in two different defenses lining up at multiple positions will serve as an excellent building block for success in the Pacific Northwest.

As a defense, with so many interchangeable pieces at Macdonald's disposal, Wallace can't wait to see how the unit stacks up once the regular season kicks off on September 8 and expects the Seahawks to be the tone setters once the bullets start flying in Week 1.

"Certain guys have got certain traits - they a dog - and when you a dog, that dog can be put in dog positions like linebackers. You got to be a certain type of breed in order to play that position. We got guys that can really really go out there and hunt. It's different packages and different things that we just got to throw at offenses. They gonna have to answer to us, we are gonna be the ones in control."