Seattle Seahawks' Laken Tomlinson Enjoying Going Up Against Mike Macdonald's Defense

Practicing against your own defense can get monotonous but it's been a joy so far for Tomlinson, who expects iron will sharpen iron come training camp.

Seahawks guards Laken Tomlinson and McClendon Curtis listen for instructions prior to a drill during an OTA practice. / Corbin Smith/All Seahawks

When the Seattle Seahawks made a coaching change after the 2023 season replacing Pete Carroll with Mike Macdonald, there were a lot of questions on what was going to happen on defense.

So far, what we know is that versatility is going to be pivotal, especially on the defensive line. The Seahawks have multiple 300 pound linemen who can play in multiple spots and edge rushers who can be a little bit versatile, including Leonard Williams and rookie Byron Murphy II.

Sometimes, when you go up against a unit in practice, it can be a frustrating one. The Minnesota Vikings had that happen this past year when Brian Flores came into the fold, as he wrecked the offense for multiple weeks. That hasn't been the case yet for the Seahawks, but they also haven't put the pads on yet.

Guard Laken Tomlinson was asked about facing Macdonald's defensive scheme and had some positive things to say about how those reps will be impactful come Sundays this fall.

“As an offensive player, you go out there and you have your game plan throughout the week, but the way he runs his defense, there's no holes and he forces you to play a certain way and sometimes that could slow some offenses up and not get them in the groove, but that's what makes it awesome to go against in practice because now they're sharpening us and then we can come out and sharpen them. That's what I like between the defense and the offense right now with Grubb come out with his offense and we are working together and it's super exciting to see when we watch film.”

- Laken Tomlinson

Forcing an offense to play a certain way is a really good trait for a defense. It doesn't allow you to get into a real flow and you play right into the hands of the defense. Being that Macdonald had one of the NFL's best defenses over the past two years in Baltimore, it's a great test for the new-look Seahawks offense under offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb.

While he seems happy with the results so far in the on-field competition against his new teammates, these battles are going to wage all throughout training camp and Tomlinson may not necessarily have the same opinion of Macdonald's defense come August.