Two Seattle defenders crack the NFL’s top-5 in a key pass-rush metric—and the rest of the league has been warned. DH
The Seahawks’ pass-rush has taken a huge jump from the 2024 season.
The Seattle Seahawks’ pass rush has been among the NFL’s best in 2025. It hasn’t just been one player carrying that effort, either.
Leonard Williams and Byron Murphy II are both among the top-5 in pressures among defensive tackles through Week 12, per Seahawks blogger Brian Nemhauser. Williams has 43 total pressures, behind only Denver Broncos defensive lineman Zach Allen, while Murphy has 38 (fifth).
Williams’ production isn’t surprising after he had a career season in 2024. In his first season under Mike Macdonald, Williams totaled 64 tackles, 16 tackles for loss, 11 sacks and an interception that he returned for a touchdown.
This season, in addition to his pressure numbers, Williams has 45 tackles, six tackles for loss and six sacks. It’s been another impressive season for the 31-year-old defensive lineman.
Murphy has taken a huge leap in his second season. He has 43 total tackles, six tackles for loss and six sacks in just 11 games this season. As a rookie, Murphy totaled just 36 tackles, two tackles for loss and a half-sack in 14 games.
Combined with the Seahawks’ edge rushers, Seattle has the fourth-most sacks as a team (36) in 2025. Seventeen Seahawks players have had a piece of a sack, and 12 players have at least one.
At this rate, Seattle is on pace for 55.5 sacks as a team this season, which is significantly better than their total in 2024 (45). That’s a credit to Macdonald, but also the pieces that the Seahawks plugged in this offseason, like DeMarcus Lawrence.
Lawrence has been another standout with four sacks, and veteran Uchenna Nwosu has bounced back from injury with 5.5 this season.
The Seahawks defense has a chance for another big day against a struggling Minnesota Vikings offense in Week 13.
