Seattle Seahawks Eager to Debut 'New-Look Defense'

The Seahawks have a new defense led by new coach Mike Macdonald and how the team adjusts to a complex new scheme will be a major factor in how they perform in 2024.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 30, 2024

Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen prepare for the snap during a positional drill at Seahawks minicamp. / Corbin Smith/All Seahawks

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Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks have a good mix of old and new faces on the defense this season, but it's all led by new head coach Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde.

The "new-look defense" was named the biggest storyline for the Seahawks after they wrapped up OTA's earlier this month by Bleacher Report writer Ryan Fowler.

"Mike Macdonald spent the past two seasons as the Baltimore Ravens' defensive coordinator, but he's now the head coach of the Seattle Seahawks. He has a long list of defensive playmakers at his disposal in Seattle, too," Fowler writes. "The Seahawks finish 30th in yards allowed and 25th in points allowed last season. MacDonald's arrival should help them make a major improvement on that side of the ball."

With No. 16 overall pick Byron Murphy II joining Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and Dre'Mont Jones on the defensive line, the trenches should be improved for the Seahawks, especially following the return to health for edge rusher Uchenna Nwosu. Behind them, Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen are still improving and playing as one of the best cornerback duos in the NFL.

Despite the Seahawks' futility on defense last season, they were still able to get nine wins last season, falling just shy of a playoff berth in the NFC. Now, they have the engineer of last year's No. 1 defense, and the franchise will be hoping Macdonald's arrival will help make things better in quick order.

If the Seahawks can keep things going like they have on the offensive side of the ball and emerge as one of the most improved defenses in the NFL, a return to the playoffs could be in the cards for Seattle.

Published Jun 19, 2024|Modified Jun 30, 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.