ESPN risks Seahawks fans' wrath by ignoring this defensive stud

ESPN recognized more off-ball linebackers than any other group thus far in their annual rankings of NFL players by position. 32 players in all, from 25 teams. That means just seven teams did not have a single off-ball linebacker land in one of the three tiers – top ten, honorable mention, or other receiving votes (ORV).

Those would seem like favorable odds if you're a Seattle Seahawks fan hoping the hometown boys got some love.

ESPN is distinguishing “off-ball” linebackers from outside linebackers whose primary responsibility is to rush the passer. For instance, in Seattle defensive nomenclature, DeMarcus Lawrence may be considered a linebacker, but in reality, he is a hybrid of an outside linebacker and a defensive end.

Where do the Seattle Seahawks' off-ball linebackers rank on the ESPN list?

He will line up wide, like a traditional OLB, and will occasionally drop into pass coverage on passing downs. But for the most part, he will attack the backfield.

Players like Lawrence were considered in ESPN’s ranking of edges. At off-ball linebacker, the Seahawks have two primary starters – Ernest Jones IV and Tyrice Knight. In certain schemes, either might attack the backfield, but on most plays, Jones and Knight will be tasked with staying behind the defensive linemen, diagnosing the play, and quickly stepping into running lanes.

In terms of mental preparation, this is the most challenging position to play on defense. Off-ball linebackers typically begin in the middle part of the field. At the snap, they might go in any direction. They must make immediate reads or will be too late dropping into coverage over the middle, or might be fooled into overrunning a gap and not be available to stop an opposing ball carrier.

They are often asked to cover sideline to sideline. But if they are overly aggressive, they run the risk of taking themselves right out of a play. And physically, they might be taking on a 330-pound guard on one play and running with a 190-pound back on the next.

Three players in this year’s top ten were not ranked last year. The number three player, Philly’s Zack Baun, was not even a starter last year. Number eight – Dallas’s DeMarvion Overshown – hadn’t yet joined the league. Washington’s Frankie Luvu, ranked fifth, got a few votes in 2024, but was nowhere near the top ten.

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Given the complexity of the position, it may not be all that surprising that evaluations can be difficult. For instance, Overshown, who missed almost half of his rookie campaign, didn’t even figure into Pro Football Focus’s (subscription required) top 50. Nor did five other linebackers who were recognized by ESPN.

It comes down to what you are expecting out of your linebacker, and that brings us to Seattle’s Ernest Jones. Many Seahawks fans credit the arrival of Jones with the turnaround Seattle experienced last year in the second half of the season.

Jones had been languishing in Tennessee for the first part of 2024 when John Schneider pulled the trigger on a deal that brought him to Seattle. It was essentially a swap of starting linebackers – Jones in exchange for the Seahawks’ Jerome Baker.

Playing alongside Knight and behind a very good defensive line, Jones did exactly what he needed to do. He made tackles by the boatload. He finished with 138 combined tackles for the season, eleventh best amongst linebackers. But that ranking is misleading. Being traded midyear meant he missed a game and also had a rather steep learning curve.

Once Jones arrived in Seattle, he averaged 9.4 tackles per game, a number that would have vaulted him into the top three in the league at his position. Surely, numbers like those would merit a spot amongst the honorable mentions, if not in the top ten. ESPN chose eleven plays in that honorable mention category.

But Jones did not get that recognition. He was indeed recognized at the bottom of the ORV category, meaning he wasn’t completely snubbed. But should he have placed higher?

Again, it comes down to what you expect of your linebacker. Jones was a tackling machine for the Seahawks, but he did little else. Tackles may be an off-ball linebacker's most important stat line, but it is not the only one.

Jones made just one tackle behind the line and was credited with a half sack on the year. He had two pass defenses plus an interception. That interception, which helped swing the momentum in game two against the Cardinals, was very nice. But overall, Jones simply did not make a lot of big plays.

Therefore, his placement in the ORV category seems about right. It will be interesting to watch whether he evolves in 2025. Both he and Knight were new last year. Both played pretty well, and it would be reasonable to expect them to make more plays this season, now that they are more comfortable in Mike Macdonald’s defense.

Seven teams, including all four teams that played in the conference championship games last year, placed a pair of linebackers in the ESPN rankings. If Jones and Knight can make a few more plays behind the line of scrimmage in 2025, they could join those teams when it comes time for next year’s grades.