NFL Analyst Names Leonard Williams Seahawks Most Overrated Player For Antiquated Reason

Does having just 5.5 sacks make Leonard Williams an overrated player? According to one NFL analyst, it does.

Dec 10, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

The strength of the Seattle Seahawks' defense is on the interior. In fact, you could argue that it's one of the best in the National Football League. New head coach Mike Macdonald likes to be multiple with his defense and having talented, versatile players will be paramount to their success.

This offseason, the Seahawks didn't just stand pat with a solid unit but doubled down by drafting Byron Murphy II out of Texas at 16th overall and re-signing Leonard Williams to a three-year contract less than six months after acquiring him via trade at the trade deadline from the New York Giants for second and fifth-round picks.

Is Williams worth the three-year, $64.5 million contract that he signed this offseason? There is a fair and reasoned discussion to be had on that front. Is he the most overrated Seahawks player? Pro Football Network's Anthony DiBona believes he is and his reason is an odd one: sacks.

The Seattle Seahawks made a massive deal for Leonard Williams last season, sending two draft picks to the Giants for the former Pro Bowl defensive lineman. Not only did the Seahawks trade for Williams, but they also signed him to a three-year, $64.5 million contract this offseason.

Williams is certainly a force along the DL interior, but it’s a wonder if he’s become overpaid and overrated. Last season, Williams recorded just 5.5 sacks, despite being rewarded like one of the NFL’s top interior pass rushers.

- PFN's Anthony DiBona

Using the counting stat of 5.5 sacks to say that Williams is overrated is an antiquated way to create football discourse. Yes, sacks are great! There won't be any argument about having more sacks. What it doesn't account for is getting pressure on the quarterback, a measure that is more important when talking about disrupting the pocket and making life tough on opposing offenses.

Williams finished the 2023 season with 54 pressures, good for 13th in the NFL for interior defensive linemen. He did that by playing half a season for two different teams with different defensive philosophies, a feat that is impressive in itself.

The counterargument to the pressure conversation is efficiency. Williams was 42nd in the NFL in win percentage per Pro Football Focus at 11.2 percent. You would like to see a little more efficiency but it's fine with the added context of what he was asked to do.

The contract is a big one, but it's just inside of the top 10 at 11th among defensive tackles, $1 million behind Daron Payne and $500k ahead of Javon Hargrave. Grouping him in with those players is more than fair when you look at talent, output, and salary. If you want to look at the top of the market in Chris Jones, Williams is $10.25 million behind him in salary, or making 67.71 percent of the Kansas City Chiefs star.

If you want to call Williams overrated, you are going to have to do better than say he needs more than 5.5 sacks in a season. He offers far more value than that statistic alone suggests, especially at a position where sacks aren't everything and players of his caliber can disrupt games in other ways.