Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Can Boye Mafe Build Off Breakout Season?

Emerging as a budding star off the edge for the Seahawks last season, a new coaching staff hopes the best is yet to come for Boye Mafe terrorizing quarterbacks.

Seattle Seahawks linebacker Boye Mafe (53) tackles Tennessee Titans quarterback Ryan Tannehill (17) late in the fourth quarter during their game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Sunday, Dec. 24, 2023. The Tennessee Titans were unable to make a comeback as the clock ran out and they lost 20-17. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA

The Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in less than a month, officially ushering in the first season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

In preparation for the new incoming season, we’ll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, diving into scheme fits, exploring best and worst case scenarios and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2024 campaign.

In the aftermath of a breakout sophomore season, what will Boye Mafe do for an encore as one of Seattle's brightest young stars?

Background

Following a strong senior season at Minnesota that culminated with a Third-Team All-Big Ten selection, Mafe dazzled at the Senior Bowl and NFL combine, further improving his draft stock. The rising prospect didn't last long in the 2022 NFL Draft, as the Seahawks invested one of their two second round selections to add the high-upside edge defender, expecting him to contribute early as a situational pass rusher. While Mafe outperformed expectations as a run defender as a rookie, he only produced three sacks in a reserve role. But jumping into the starting lineup last season, he set a franchise record with sacks in seven consecutive games and wrapped up the year just short of double digit sacks, emerging as one of the best young players on Seattle's roster. Set to start again opposite of Uchenna Nwosu, he will look to take another big step in 2024.

Scheme Fit

Perfectly suited for a 3-4 outside linebacker role, the 6-4, 261-pound Mafe has played the vast majority of his snaps lined up outside of the tackle in wide-9 technique, allowing him to use his upfield burst and athleticism to create problems for opposing tackles as a rusher. In new coach Mike Macdonald's defense, he may move around a bit more, seeing some action in even fronts with a hand in the dirt covering opposing tackles or even reducing inside as a standup rusher in amoeba packages.

Best Case Scenario

Barely scratching the surface of his full potential last season, Mafe explodes as Seattle's most dynamic rusher in Macdonald's aggressive defense, becoming the first player since Michael Sinclair to hit 15 sacks in a single season and setting himself up for a massive contract extension as one of the franchise's foundational pieces moving forward.

Worst Case Scenario

While Mafe remains a key contributor for the Seahawks pass rush and sticks in the starting lineup, an expanded edge rotation now including Dre'Mont Jones cuts down on his opportunities to an extent, leading to a decrease in sack and pressure production compared to a year ago heading towards a contract year.

What to Expect in 2024

Entering the prime of his career with much to play for in regard to a second contract, the Seahawks believe Mafe's best football still remains in front of him. Shortly after Nwosu went down with a season-ending injury in Week 7, with him carrying more of a burden without his edge rushing counterpart, he seemed to hit a bit of a sophomore wall as a first-time starter, producing just two sacks in the final eight games. Still, he had at least four pressures in five of those games, so it wasn't as if he suddenly became a non-factor in the final two months either.

Now that he's experienced a full season as a starter, coupled with Macdonald's track record of generating elite pass rushes with a blend of blitzes and sim packages, optimism about Mafe's potential to wreak even more havoc in his third NFL season should only heighten. After eclipsing 800 defensive snaps last season, even if his workload is cut into a bit by Jones sliding outside more often, that could result in a "less is more" type situation where keeping him fresh allows for him to maximize his talent as a rusher and ultimately produce better numbers, which would be huge news for the Seahawks defense.

Previous 90-Man Roundups

Buddha Jones | Devin Richardson | Rason Williams II | Nathan Pickering | Dee Williams | Devere Levelston | Kobe Lewis | Sunny Anderson | Mike Novitsky | Max Pircher | Easton Gibbs | Hayden Hatten | Garret Greenfield | Carlton Johnson | Matt Gotel |George Holani | Cody White | Ty Okada | Drake Thomas | McClendon Curtis | Easop Winston Jr. |Nelson Ceaser | Jonathan Sutherland | Lance Boykin | Joshua Onujiogu | Patrick O'Connell |Jack Westover | Raiqwon O'Neal | Tyler Mabry | Dareke Young | Tremayne Anchrum | DJ James | Artie Burns | Kenny McIntosh | Myles Adams | Dee Eskridge | Stone Forsythe | Tyrice Knight |Jerrick Reed II | Mike Morris | Coby Bryant | Jake Bobo | Jon Rhattigan | Nick Harris | Johnathan Hankins | Derick Hall | Laviska Shenault | PJ Walker | K'Von Wallace | Sam Howell |Sataoa Laumea | Pharaoh Brown | Michael Dickson | Tre Brown | A.J. Barner | Darrell Taylor | Mike Jackson | Zach Charbonnet | Rayshawn Jenkins | Anthony Bradford | Jerome Baker | Laken Tomlinson | Jarran Reed | Ricky Person Jr. | Jason Myers | Olu Oluwatimi | Christian Haynes | Abraham Lucas | Dre'Mont Jones | Tyrel Dodson | Jaxon Smith-Njigba