Seattle Seahawks DC Aden Durde Fired Up About Defensive Line Versatility

The Seattle Seahawks have a multi-faceted defensive line that will help build their defense.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 5, 2024

Nov 12, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive end Leonard Williams (99) sacks Washington Commanders quarterback Sam Howell (14) during the second quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

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Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks are looking to build their defense through the defensive line.

That's why they drafted Byron Murphy II with the No. 16 overall pick and signed players like Johnathan Hankins and Leonard Williams to big-time contracts. There's a lot of versatility along the unit, and that's what excites defensive coordinator Aden Durde.

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

“I think that's what good defensive lines are," Durde said. "You look at the groups and right now it's kind of hard because we can't go full gas, but it's what are people good at? What are their individual roles? How do they fit into the picture? What down and distance would they be good at and where do they excel? I really believe upfront it's about creating a way of playing that enhances people's ability in certain situations. There's a couple of guys that really just flourish in every situation and there's other guys like Hank (Johnathan Hankins) or those guys that flourish in certain situations and then how you rotate them. We've got so much versatility.”

The Seahawks are hoping to be better than the 30th-ranked defense that they were a year ago, and under the leadership of Durde and head coach Mike Macdonald, they have a path towards that.

It will take some time to execute the vision, but the fact that the Seahawks have a distinct idea on how they want to build their team is a good sign for what's to come. If the Seahawks can take advantage of the versatility they have along the defensive line, they could be among the surprise teams in the NFC this season.

Published Jun 5, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.