Pro Football Focus (subscription required) has released a list of five overlooked teams heading into the upcoming NFL season. And, wonder of wonders, they have included the Seattle Seahawks. We’ll get to their reasoning soon enough, but first, let’s check in on the four other teams chosen by PFF’s Dalton Wasserman.
Wasserman has the Bengals, Cowboys, Colts, and 49ers joining Mike Macdonald’s crew as teams that the league is sleeping on. Of them – and oh, how it pains me to say this – I think Dallas has the best chance of surprising people. The return of Dak Prescott will be huge, as will the additions of Tyler Booker and George Pickens to the offense.
Any defense with a healthy Micah Parsons is dangerous, and the Cowboys have some dynamic parts to back him up. They do not have enough to challenge the Eagles and may not overtake the Commanders in the NFC East, but Dallas does have the talent to turn this year's NFC East into last year’s NFC North.
The Seahawks are really flying under the radar for 2025
Of the others, you should never bet against Joe Burrow, Ja'Marr Chase, and Tee Higgins in Cincy, but they still have holes to fill on defense and need to show they can begin a season strong under Zac Taylor. Indy has assembled a solid roster, but still has major questions under center.
And the 49ers are getting old. They have retooled their defense for this year, and I think a lot of the faith in their roster stems from faith in John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan. But they will need a lot of young players to step up if they want to get back to the 49ers of the recent past.
And then there is Seattle?
Nobody outside of the northwest is really talking about the Seahawks. In most people’s eyes, the NFC West will come down to a showdown between reigning champs Los Angeles and the presumably resurgent Niners.
This view seems to neglect the fact that in his first year, Mike Macdonald coached his team to a 10-7 record. They were the last team out of the playoffs. Still, there are obvious reasons for concern.
Seattle did not play well at crucial stretches of the 2024 season. And they have essentially rebuilt their entire offense, beginning with a new coordinator and new QB. If you are looking for a team that offers flash and sizzle, the Seahawks are decidedly not your type. At least not yet.
Maybe you would prefer something along the lines of the Chicago Bears, a team Wasserman wisely ignored. Perhaps that’s because everyone is predicting great things for the Bears, just like they did last season.
No, Seattle doesn’t have a lot big names. But they may have the talent.
If begins with a coordinator in Klint Kubiak who seems much better aligned with the type of team Macdonald wants. He has promised to emphasize the run and not to abandon it if it doesn’t yield immediate results. Kubiak has some quality runners and an improving offensive line, which will be aided in no small measure by the presence of a strong blocking fullback.
The top two receivers should be productive. After that, it’s a bit of a crap shoot. I admit I am not the biggest Marquez Valdes-Scantling fan. But I am a fan of the double tight end sets Kubiak will be able to run. That should allow MVS to focus entirely on scaring the crap out of opposing defenses by running plenty of go routes.
Of course, the success or failure of the offense is going to come down to two main things. How good can the offensive line be, and how good can new QB Sam Darnold be? The two things are related. Darnold will take sacks and make mistakes when harried.
But he will also make opponents if they sleep on Seattle’s ability to get downfield. If the line protects and the run game works, that will become a regular part of the Seahawks' offense.
Seattle’s defense made a great turnaround in the second half of last season. They have all of their important pieces back, along with a couple of quality additions in veteran DeMarcus Lawrence and rookies Nick Emmanwori and Rylie Mills. Emmanwori in particular, has the potential to be a game changer.
Manipulating the draft board to be able to select Emmanwori is a very encouraging sign for Seattle. He is the perfect player for Mike Macdonald. A lot of Hawks’ fans see him as the second coming of Kam Chancellor, but I have believed for a long time that he is really going to be Macdonald’s new Kyle Hamilton.
The gifted Hamilton was a key to Macdonald’s defenses in Baltimore, given his ability to line up almost anywhere. It may take Emmanwori the better part of his rookie season to get comfortable, but I expect that is the role he will play in 2025.
That also fits with the Darnold move. Once the Hawks settled on Kubiak, they went out and got a QB who had familiarity with the new OC. Despite being a newcomer, Darnold is further along with the new offense than Geno Smith would have been, had he been retained. That speaks to a franchise capable of making shrewd moves.
So Seattle’s defense is going to be fine, perhaps even very good. Their offense should be steadier. As with so much in the NFL, much of the team’s success or failure will come down to how well its quarterback plays.
Darnold has talent. They got him a quality OC and an experienced QB coach. They are rebuilding the line and giving him a variety of weapons – both short and long range – to help him thrive.
I don’t know many analysts who thought the Seahawks could go 10-7 last year, and there aren’t many giving them a big chance of equaling or surpassing that in 2025. But there are a few. Dalton Wasserman is one. And I am another. Anyone else want to get an early seat on the bandwagon?
