2023 Seahawks Defense Shaping Up
Just five days into 2023 Seahawks Training Camp, here is a 2000+ word article on the Seahawks’ defense. Significant early storylines out of the VMAC have given us a rich idea of Seattle's direction:
The headlines:
The Seahawks have a new first string nose tackle
The defensive backs competition has gasoline on it, is now ferociously ablaze
Across the defense, players are out there competing, trying to win jobs
DB Competition Heats Up
Seattle’s cornerback depth gained more chances to perform in starting spots, with both of the Seahawks’ “on paper” first string missing practice. Devon Witherspoon’s mini holdout saw him sit out the first two days of training camp. Meanwhile, Riq Woolen—returning from his offseason knee scope operation—has started camp on the PUP list.
The first beneficiary, Mike Jackson, has continued his impressive offseason on the right side. “He had a great OTAs and minicamp,” assessed free safety Quandre Diggs, speaking after day 2.
“I hate to say this, because I want my expectations to be in the right spot, but he’s exceeded expectations,” head coach Pete Carroll said on Jackson, following day 4 of practice. “He has continued to do that and with the season that he played last year, the offseason that he had and already in camp he’s made a statement.”
According to Diggs, Jackson’s competitive nature, first visible when Seattle signed him off the scrapheap, is starting to blend with a growing confidence.
“It was 2022 last year, so 2021 I remember literally when he got here he got off the plane and he had to do our competition period,” Diggs recalled.
“He had like six one on ones and he’s just dead tired. We was like, ‘You gassed huh?’ and he was like, ‘No I don’t get tired,’ and we was just like ‘Yeah alright.’ He came in and he was just on practice squad and he worked his way up and we had some guys out with COVID and you know he stepped in the game when he had to. He’s always been steady and been that rock and I think last year he just got that confidence and his confidence has continued to rise throughout OTAs and minicamp.”
A lot of the time, Jackson has been working against one of Seattle’s biggest mismatches: 6-foot-4, 235-pound, 4.33s 40, DK Metcalf.
“He’s been going against DK and they have been battling out there,” Carroll added on Jackson. “I couldn’t ask for anything more than that and his attitude is good. You know he’s a big kid, 215-pound corner. There are not many guys like that and he’s really fast too. He has taken great pride in his technique, the scheme and all of that so he’s not giving it up for anybody. He’s battling to be the guy out there starting.”
Then there’s the forgotten cornerback.
Tre Brown—a man I foolishly left off my corner competition section of “Top 4 Training Camp Battles”—has gained considerable ground. Day 3, Witherspoon’s first practice, saw Brown retain his spot at first-string left corner. The 2021 fourth round pick has an opportunity to complete the comeback from his rookie season, week 11 patellar tendon injury.
“I think so,” Diggs answered on whether Brown is ready to make a statement. “He has his confidence and mojo back. You guys saw what he was able to do on one leg when he played those games in 2021.” That was when Brown first sprained his knee in September 2021, going on to start 5 games at left corner before suffering the season-ender in late November.
“For him to be explosive, run as fast as he can, and be as sticky as he is, our depth in that room is great,” Diggs continued. “He’s doing a great job. I’m sure he’s a little rusty, he hasn’t played in a while. At the end of the day, we’re all rusty we haven’t played since January. He’s not far behind and he’s doing a heck of a job.”
Even with Witherspoon working in the first-string during day 4 of camp, Brown still impressed while keeping his spot as the first left corner. “He had a great day today,” Carroll praised. “He was all over the place. The play he made on the post route was better than any of the other ones. But he also made a great play in the back of the endzone. Geno threw a perfect ball to DK on the back line, I mean sky high. And he got up to it, got his hands on the football, and got it knocked away. And he had a pick too you know, I think on the scramble situation. He had a beautiful day today.”
In the first day of pads, day 5, Brown had some excellent reps in one-on-ones, whereas Metcalf got the better of Jackson. The battling will continue into game time.
“Both he [Brown] and Mike [Jackson] are competing hard, Carroll assessed after day 4. “They are not looking over their shoulder they’re just going to take these jobs and going to try and hold onto them and fight to keep them. And they’re doing the kind of stuff that guys do to make that happen. So, it’s exciting.”
The high level of competition has left both Carroll and Diggs impressed with Seattle’s breadth of outside corner options.
“Really happy for the depth at corner,” Carroll said after only the first day of practice. “Today we jumped out with Tre and Michael playing corner when Woolen and Devon aren’t out there, it shows we have really nice depth there with Coby playing the nickel spot.”
“It’s impressive,” Diggs agreed on the corner depth. “I think this is probably the best depth that we’ve had since I have been here.”
Diggs later added the impact of this on the safety position. “Nothing like having guys that you can trust on that perimeter because you know teams are paying these receivers big money to go make big plays, and when you got a pretty good stable of corners like we’ve got, it puts you in a good position,” he said.
Meanwhile, Carroll was excited about the nickel cornerback options too. “Coby did a really nice job of nickel for us last year and Devon seems natural playing there as well,” the head coach evaluated post-day 1.
Both Bryant and Witherspoon can play the nickel spot. “That’s going to be a very competitive position throughout and we can’t wait to see what happens,” Carroll said.
Bryant has already made gains, capitalizing on a two-day head start following Witherspoon’s absence.
Moreover, with Witherspoon back—“flashy already” Carroll described—Bryant has earned the chance to show what he can do in other areas too. His background as the field-sidecorner at Cincinnati should help.
“We’ve moved Coby around a couple of times too,” Carroll shared post-day 4. “He’s playing on both sides, and he’s doing some stuff for us. Playing safety a little bit as well.”
“We’ll see how it goes and figure out the right mix,” Carroll finished on the nickel position. “We may get them out on the field all at the same time.”
That hints of an intriguing dime sub-package, something the Seahawks showcased in day 4 situational play with Tre Brown on the left, Mike Jackson on the right, Witherspoon in the nickel, and Bryant as the sixth DB inside—Quandre Diggs and Julian Love as the safeties.
“Here’s what we are really thinking,” Carroll concluded of the defensive backs following day 4. “What we’re thinking is we got really good depths in our corners. And we have a chance to work on some different combinations.”
He later added: “We’re just trying to find the right combination. You know and see what’s competitive.”
Witherspoon’s presence only increases the urgency on the various defensive backs driving to play in the most amount of sub-packages. Seattle has a myriad of matchup options that may soon become a plethora, and an opportunity to trade.
And to further spice up the mix, there is still Riq Woolen to come back. This will directly push Jackson on the right side. Carroll said on Sunday that Woolen’s return was a case of “I don’t think a couple of days, but I think it’s really in a couple of weeks for sure.”
Jarran Reed Starting Nose Tackle, IDL Newcomers Learning
Carroll disclosed a major detail when asked if the 2023 Seahawks players fit his defensive scheme: Jarran Reed is Plan A at Nose Tackle.
“I think one of the keys is Jarran Reed coming back to us, J Reed playing nose tackle for us is crucial,” Carroll answered following day 1 of training camp.
“He’s a terrific player. He’s just as tough, as physical, and as knowledgeable as you can get. He’ll do great there. That is going to be one of the key elements of building it around him, and we’re really counting on him to be a big factor.”
Yes Reed, now 30-years-old, signed for less than $5million later into the free agency period and often thought of as a 3-technique, is an integral piece on the Seahawks’ defensive line at NT.
Seattle’s 2023 nose tackle strategy feels scarily unfamiliar. The lack of size, unlike in recent years, leading to understandable angst. However, team history proves reassuring.
Back in the 2012/2013 iteration of Carroll’s unit, when defensive players were slightly bigger and the league’s offenses were nearing the end of the base personnel, run-leaning cycle that they are now flirting with rejoining, the Seahawks’ starting defensive tackle pairing was less large.
The nose, Brandon Mebane, was listed at 6-foot-1, 311 pounds. The 3-technique, Tony McDaniel, 6-foot-7, 305 pounds. Even Red Bryant, the “5-technique” or “Big End” who would reduce down inside to give Seattle another player on the interior, was listed at “only” 6-foot-5, 326 pounds.
Reed is down on the roster as 6-foot-3, 306 pounds. However, ProFootballReference lists him at 313 pounds. Given the team’s nose tackles plans, you can imagine Reed has been given similar “don’t have to worry about backing up from the table” instructions to the ones defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt told Mike Morris during a draft call. “Over 300Ibs is where he is expected,” Carroll revealed following day 4 on Reed. “He is a really powerful kid.”
Take Carroll’s comments after the team drafted Cameron Young in the 4th round. “That's because those other guys were enormous,” Carroll said after Day 3, responding to Young being a little bit smaller than previous nose tackles. “With Al Woods and Bryan Mone, those guys were 340 and all that, and up.”
Most important: Reed has played nose tackle before. In Seattle.
The 2020 season, when the Seahawks first started leaning into a high “bear front” usage, saw Reed man the NT job, playing head-up on the center in a 0-technique. (Seattle then signed 350 pound Snacks Harrison in early October, before waiving him in December, showing that veteran, run-stuffing options at this position will be available even when real games begin.)
Meanwhile, at Alabama, Reed regularly played as a 3-tech or 2i depending on the offensive formation. Heavy to a guard, in an even front, deployment. This is the stuff he will, presumably, be asked to do in Seattle when the defense gets into their nickel, 2-4-5 personnel, four front—the front they used most often in 2022.
“Jarran Reed is a really well-equipped nose tackle now,” Carroll said after day 4 of camp. “He’s played those spots for years in and out. He did all of that in college, moving around had that flexibility.”
Now, as you will see in Seahawks On Tape secret project 1, this starting lighter approach may suggest more use of shaded players, aligning on the outside shoulder of offensive lineman, rather than head-up defensive lineman.
It could also be interpreted as a doubling-down on 2022’s increased even front usage or, more likely based off evidence from a certain running back’s Instagram story, a return to pre-2022 even front techniques.
This is all detail for another article. Today: don’t panic!
“We kind of made the commitment, let's go that way,” Carroll finished on Reed and nose tackle style.
“I think he’s going to play to be one of the best nose tackles in football, I don’t see how you can deny that. He’s just too good of a player, really smart, really savvy, makes the calls. Handles all the leadership issues you may have with a bunch of hard nose guys up front, he’s the guy. I love that he is at the spot, he is really committed to doing it.”
Behind Reed, Seattle has fourth-round rookie Cameron Young, Jacob Sykes and Roderick Perry working on the center. Austin Faoliu and Bryan Mone are currently out injured.