Tyrel Dodson, Seattle Seahawks LB Corps Eclipsing Expectations During 3-0 Start

Viewed by many as a potential concern for Mike Macdonald's defense only a few months ago, the Seahawks have been better than advertised at linebacker so far.

Sep 22, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks linebackers Tyrel Dodson and Drake Thomas combine to make a stop against the Miami Dolphins during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images / Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

RENTON, Wash. - As far as question marks were concerned this offseason, nothing stood out like a sore thumb on the Seattle Seahawks' defense as much as a retooled linebacker group that lost perennial All-Pro Bobby Wagner and former first-round pick Jordyn Brooks in free agency.

With Wagner and Brooks allowed to leave, new coach Mike Macdonald replaced the long-time starters with AFC ex-pats in Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker, as Seattle signed the two veterans to one-year "prove it" deals in March. In the draft, the team waited until the fourth round to address the position, and many draft pundits believed they reached to pick UTEP linebacker Tyrice Knight too early despite being a Senior Bowl standout in Mobile.

With only two linebackers who had more than 20 regular season snaps on their resume on the roster rolling into training camp in Baker and Dodson, Seattle had far more questions than answers at the position. Or at least, that was the narrative, which has suddenly been turned upside down as the team has rattled off three consecutive wins to open the season atop the NFC West and allowed just 14.3 points per game during that span, blowing expectations out of the water in the process.

Following a 24-3 defensive beatdown of the Dolphins on Sunday, Dodson raved about the resiliency of his linebacker counterparts and the Seahawks defense as a whole after they held Miami to three total points on two trips into the red zone coming off of unfortunate interceptions thrown by quarterback Geno Smith.

For his part, Dodson produced four tackles and his first sack of the season, playing a key role in the stifling performance, though he lamented the fact that Miami got a field goal.

"I'm just so proud of my defense. These guys are just so resilient," Dodson said. "That's the word that stands out to me today. Just resilient. I feel good. There's still stuff that we need to keep getting better at run game wise, but three points on the board. I take that any day. Well, it should be a donut, but I'll let it slide.”

Shockingly, the Seahawks have received outstanding play from their linebackers during the first month of the season despite Baker missing significant time due to a lingering hamstring injury. In his absence, with Dodson excelling in the MIKE role as hoped, Knight has been forced into action earlier than the coaching staff likely preferred, but he has answered the bell so far and the defense has not missed a beat with him in the lineup.

Replacing Baker early in a 23-20 overtime win over the Patriots in Foxboro two weeks ago, Knight tallied seven tackles, including five that resulted in two or fewer yards for New England. He also played excellent coverage against running back Rhamondre Stevenson on a third down in the red zone to force the opposition to settle for a field goal, impressing Macdonald with his stellar overall play in his first extended action.

Starting for the first time on Sunday against the Dolphins, Knight took another step forward, producing five tackles and a tackle for loss, blowing up De'Von Achane on a toss play for a four-yard loss in the backfield. He also produced a pressure as a blitzer, and though he was charged with allowing a 22-yard catch against Achane at the beginning of the game, he didn't allow any other big plays in coverage. He also has yet to miss a tackle and his 83.3 tackling grade on Pro Football Focus ranks third among all linebackers.

“He does a good job. He's even-steven, nothing fazes him," Dodson said of Knight, lauding him for his maturity as a rookie. "He's in early. I actually got a text from him last night at, like, 10 p.m. He sent me a play, and I was like ‘Hey, you got this. I got that.’ But, so proud of him, how he came out and played, played his butt off. The sky's the limit for that dude. He keeps stacking them each day, and he's a pro. It's so rare for a rookie to be a pro, but he's a pro. He has to keep stacking and keep learning, but the sky's the limit for that guy.”

Interestingly, Macdonald didn't put Knight on an island asking the rookie to play every snap in his first career start. Employing a by-committee approach to an extent, he sprinkled in second-year linebacker Drake Thomas in nickel and dime packages, as the former North Carolina State standout played a career-high 19 snaps as a situational defender.

Mostly seeing the field in passing situations, 16 of Thomas' 19 snaps were in coverage, and while he did allow a 13-yard catch, he forced two incompletions, including breaking up a pass intended for speedy receiver Jaylen Waddle in the fourth quarter. He finished with a pair of tackles on defense, a tackle on special teams, one pass breakup, and allowed just a 68.8 passer rating when targeted.

After missing most of training camp and the preseason recovering from a severe knee injury, Thomas has been a revelation for Macdonald, who clearly has gained trust in him quickly based on the decision to throw him into the fire for substantial playing time as part of Seattle's weekly game plan. Rotating in with Knight, he loved what he saw from both players in the victory, and told reporters on Monday that he'd be game for using the same strategy for as long as Baker is sidelined.

"I thought they did a nice job," Macdonald said after the game. "It was great to see Drake get some action, felt he made some plays. I felt those guys. T. Knight, just a poised dude. He's a rookie but you don't feel like that when you look in his eye. It's not too big for him. Thought he took a step from the New England game. He'll keep getting better. He's doing a tremendous job."

For those who look at the glass half empty, the Seahawks have yet to face an offensive juggernaut through the first three weeks, facing a not-so-imposing trio of quarterbacks in Bo Nix, Jacoby Brissett, and Skylar Thompson. The Dolphins also ran the ball well early on Sunday, but falling behind by 14 in the first quarter forced them to pass more than they wanted to, so questions persist about the run defense as a whole against better opponents, starting with the physical Lions on Monday Night Football next week.

Still, considering the fact that the Seahawks have been relying heavily on an untested rookie in Knight and chose to give Thomas extended run in sub-packages with few regular season snaps to his name either, Macdonald has every reason to be pleased with how the linebacker group has held up so far. Depth-wise, the team looks to be in better shape than anyone outside the building could have anticipated, which has contributed to a historic start by the defense through three games.

Assuming Knight only gets better as he gains experience, even if Baker needs another week or two to get fully healthy, pairing the rookie tackling machine with the versatile Dodson should more than keep Seattle afloat in the middle. In fact, those two could wind up being the long-term answers for the franchise with this test run foreshadowing the future for Macdonald's defense, creating a good problem for the coaching staff to work through as the year progresses.