Seahawks' defensive players to watch in preseason Week 1
Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and defensive coordinator Aden Durde will officially get to debut their defense against the Los Angeles Chargers this weekend. While the game plan and scheme may be "vanilla," Week 1 of the preseason offers the first in-game opportunity to begin putting the approach together. With that in mind, we've identified a bunch of Seahawks defenders worth analyzing in Saturday's Week 1 preseason game.
Byron Murphy II
It's unclear how much rookie defensive tackle Byron Murphy II will play on Saturday, but Seahawks fans are anxious to get their first in-game look at him. The No. 16 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft has improved as training camp has progressed forward. Murphy possesses the potential to be a dominant 3-technique in Macdonald's defense.
Nelson Ceaser
Seahawks rookie EDGE Nelson Ceaser is an intriguing player that's battling for a roster spot with the likes of Darrell Taylor. The Seahawks signed Ceaser to a sizable contract in undrafted free agency, guaranteeing $110,000 of his salary. He's a twitchy pass rusher who recorded a career-high 9.5 sacks at Houston this season.
Tyrice Knight
Starting inside linebacker Jerome Baker has been missing recent practices with a hamstring injury. Given his importance level to this Seahawks defense, he's extremely unlikely to play on Saturday. His absence should lead to a ton of snaps for rookie off-ball linebacker Tyrice Knight. Knight has been working with the starting unit. He's a sideline-to-sideline athlete who produced 140 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks at UTEP last season.
Derick Hall
Derick Hall only logged 307 snaps as a rookie last season. Relegated to a rotational role despite appearing in all 17 games, the Seahawks are hoping he's ready to take a sophomore leap. Hall's development is critical to the Seahawks achieving pass-rushing depth.
D.J. James, Nehemiah Pritchett
The Seahawks selected DJ James and Nehemiah Pritchett, two cornerbacks from Auburn, during the 2024 NFL Draft. The pair of Day Three picks have both made standout plays at various training camp practices. If Pritchett and James continue playing well, the Seahawks will appreciate the depth they have at the cornerback position behind Riq Woolen, Devon Witherspoon, and Tre Brown.
More Seahawks Wire stories
4 takeaways from second week of Seahawks training camp
5 biggest Seahawks plays vs Broncos w/ 5 weeks to go until Week 1
Seahawks sign free agent C Connor Williams to a one-year deal
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks' defensive players to watch in preseason Week 1
