Where Does Seattle Seahawks' Secondary Rank in the NFL?

The Seahawks have a bevy of talent and upside in their defensive secondary. Where do they stack up against the other secondaries in the NFL?

Nov 19, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Riq Woolen (27) celebrates making an interception against the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth quarter at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

The Seahawks have a deep, talented secondary, especially at cornerback. Overall, they have three Pro Bowlers with depth abound at both safety and corner. Where does the Seahawks' secondary rank among the NFL's other defensive backfields?

Pro Football Focus ranked Seattle's secondary at No. 7 in the NFL, calling this unit a "good mix of youth and experience." That's a good way to asses a team with two cornerbacks who were Pro Bowlers as rookies and two veteran safeties.

The question is, is that ranking correct? The secondary stands to be one of the best units on this year's team in Seattle. The wide receivers and defensive line are strong groups and this secondary is just as talented and deep, at least at cornerback.

First, the cornerbacks. It's hard to not like two cornerbacks, neither of which are older than 25 years old, that have both already earned a Pro Bowl selection. Checking in at 23 years old, Witherspoon went from No. 5 overall pick in the draft to one of the best defensive backs in football. The Illinois product was third among corners in tackles for loss and ranked sixth in passes defensed. He also was the only rookie with at least two sacks and a pick-six.

Two years ago, Riq Woolen burst onto the scene, tying for the NFL lead as a rookie with six interceptions. His lanky frame and elite speed turned him into a weapon at corner. Indeed, he had a sophomore slump in 2023. He struggled with missed tackles and missed assignments in pass coverage. Even still, his elite athleticism made up for a lot. There's plenty of optimism that he can rebound and recapture his form .

Those two could easily become the best cornerback duo in football if Witherspoon continues on his trajectory and Woolen regains form.

Behind Witherspoon and Woolen, Mike Jackson provides a luxury of depth at outside corner. He could allow Witherspoon to bounce inside to the slot to create pressure. He played in all 17 games last year and made four starts, holding his own. Tre Brown offers solid depth as well, playing over 500 snaps at outside corner last year.

Dec 18, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks safety Julian Love (20) intercepts a pass intended for Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Quez Watkins (16) during the fourth quarter at Lumen Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Then, at safety, where the Seahawks may lack in elite blue-chip talent, they make up for in experience. Julian Love collected 123 tackles and four interceptions on his way to his first career Pro Bowl selection last year. However, he wasn't without his struggles with a 7.5 percent missed tackle rate, which was his highest since his rookie year. With the departures of Quandre Diggs and Jamal Adams, Love stands to take on more of a primary role in the defensive backfield in year six.

Seattle signed Rayshawn Jenkins, who has started all 17 games two seasons in a row with Jacksonville. He allowed just a 62.5 passer rating last year, with seven tackles for loss in the run game additionally.

Given this breadth of experience and talent, should the Seahawks' secondary rank higher than seventh? Or have they not earned it yet? The question becomes, which NFL teams might have a better secondary?

To be fair, this is also a team that ranked 21st in passing yards allowed per game, 23rd in passer rating allowed, and 26th in completion percentage allowed. That's not exactly adding up to being a top 10 secondary.

The Cleveland Browns ranked first in passing yards allowed and completion percentage allowed last season. Grant Delpit, Denzel Ward, Greg Newsome II, and Juan Thornhill round out one of the best, if not the best secondary in football.

Despite their struggles, the New York Jets also boast a better secondary with Sauce Gardner. They allowed the second-least passing yards in the league. Mike Macdonald's old team in Baltimore certainly has an elite unit, with Kyle Hamilton and Marcus Williams at safety with Marlon Humphrey as a three-time Pro Bowler at corner.

Teams like the 49ers and Saints both had more interceptions and allowed less yardage last year than the Seahawks. The Cowboys, Bills, and Chiefs all allowed a lower passer rating. The Packers and Titans allowed less passing touchdowns.

Sharp Football Analysis ranks Seattle's unit at 15th. Right in the middle of the pack. That might be a more fair assessment of where the Seahawks are at right at this moment. The top-10 ranking from PFF could signify where this team could end up if all that talent continues to develop and move forward. But on paper, this isn't an elite unit... not yet, at least. Safety is, at this point, still a question mark. Love was inconsistent and Jenkins has been a solid-not-spectacular safety for several years.

If this secondary unit takes another step in the right direction in Macdonald's scheme with the aid of defensive backs coach Karl Scott and company, this could easily become a top 10 group in football. This isn't the Legion of Boom days by any stretch, but the Seahawks haven't had this collection of talent at cornerback since those glory days. Now, it's time to prove it with the stats and plays on the field.