Who Will Earn Starting Spot in Seattle Seahawks Secondary Opposite Riq Woolen?

Blessed with a deep cornerback group including five players with extensive starting experience, who will the Seahawks turn to opposite of Riq Woolen?

Nov 19, 2023; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Tre Brown (22) reacts in the third quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports / Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY Sports

As one of the major perks that appealed about the Seattle Seahawks coaching vacancy, Mike Macdonald has inherited an uber-talented, young secondary led by Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen that he can build his disruptive defense around.

If there are any question marks for Macdonald and his new coaching staff to address at cornerback, given Witherspoon's playmaking ability as a do-it-all slot defender, the Seahawks will have to figure out who will be the best fit to pair with Woolen as a boundary corner in nickel and dime sets. Luckily, the team has no shortage of capable options, starting with seasoned veterans Tre Brown and Mike Jackson, who have combined to start 28 games over the past two seasons.

With a starting job at left cornerback potentially up for grabs, who will receive the gig across from Woolen? Stating the cases for Brown and Jackson to win the job with a projection for who will be starting for the Seahawks against the Broncos on September 8:

Case For Tre Brown

Injuries have been a problem for Brown since Seattle drafted him in the fourth round out of Oklahoma in 2021, including missing most of his second season recovering from a torn patellar tendon in his knee. But when he has been healthy, he has brought physicality, toughness, and ball skills to the secondary, performing well in limited action as a starter. Last year, he set career-highs with 34 tackles and two interceptions, returning one of those picks for a pivotal touchdown in a Week 2 win over Detroit, while also adding five pass breakups on 378 coverage snaps.

Though Brown got off to a fast start last season, however, the Seahawks eventually sent him to the bench, in large part due to issues drawing flags. He finished tied for eighth among cornerbacks with nine penalties, including getting flagged for defensive pass interference three times and illegal contact twice. He also allowed three touchdowns in coverage, occasionally getting beat downfield for explosive plays. After spending the bulk of OTAs playing with the first team, he will have to clean up both areas of his game to fend off the competition.

Case For Mike Jackson

Initially landing with the Seahawks as a practice squad player late in the 2021 season, Jackson has been a revelation and earned his keep with a gritty, blue collar playing style. Named a surprise starter in 2022, he started every game opposite of Woolen and put up solid numbers, surpassing 70 tackles with 11 pass breakups and an interception. With the return of a healthy Brown, he spent most of last season on special teams, but he eventually battled his way back into the lineup and started four games down the stretch without allowing a touchdown in coverage.

In terms of reliability, Jackson has proven himself to be a capable spot starter at worst, making major strides since being cut by the Cowboys and Patriots earlier in his career. With that said, he isn't as twitchy of an athlete as Brown, which has left him susceptible to big plays at times, and only has one career interception on his resume, offering less playmaking ability than his main competition. Still, while he may have athletic limitations, he compensates for them with his physicality and instincts, which give him a fighting chance to once again beat the odds and win the job.

Predicted Winner: Brown

In his two seasons as defensive coordinator with the Ravens, Macdonald found success with many different types of cornerbacks from a size and stylistic standpoint. But if there's been common threads, the corners in his defense excelled in press coverage, were sound tacklers against the run, and knew how to capitalize on their opportunities to create turnovers. Brown and Jackson each check off the first two boxes, as they aren't afraid to mix it up throwing their helmet in the ring to bring down running backs and receivers and prefer to play near the line of scrimmage to use their physicality to set the tone in coverage.

Even though Brown only has one more career interception than Jackson, however, he has provided more of a spark in the turnover category on fewer snaps, including forcing two fumbles last season. While a case can be made for both players to start, his athletic profile and ball skills give him a slight advantage in Macdonald's scheme, which explains why he received the first crack to earn the job during Seattle's offseason program. With each player set to be a free agent next March, the competition between them will be fierce, but Brown should have a slight edge and can win the job early with a strong start to training camp.