To the surprise of no one, the Seattle Seahawks have spent the offseason thus far upgrading their defense. After going 9-8 last season and the offense clicking, it was the defensive side of the ball that held them back from reaching that next level.
Seattle was 25th in points allowed and 26th in yardage allowed as they were unable to get any stops consistently during the season. While the pass defense was solid, they were especially poor against the run, ranking 30th in rushing yards allowed.
To change their fortunes for the 2023 season, the Seahawks have revamped their defense in free agency. Defensive linemen Quinton Jefferson and Shelby Harris were both released, opening the door for the front office to bring in new players. One of the players that they landed on was Dre’Mont Jones.
Jones spent the first four seasons of his career with the Denver Broncos and was one of the best defensive linemen available in free agency this year. In 13 games last season, he recorded 6.5 sacks with nine tackles for loss and 10 quarterback hits. But, where he really thrives is as a run defender.
According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Jones was one of the best in the business when it came to getting run stuffs. His 4.5 percent run stuff rate last season was the 10th highest among defensive tackles with a minimum of 200 run snaps.
That kind of production is certainly needed on the Seahawks’ roster. Last season, they allowed the second-most rushing yards over expected in 2022 at +534. Adding someone of Jones’ caliber should help turn things around instantly.
Seattle committed a large sum of money to Jones, agreeing to a three-year, $51 million deal. He is a big part of their plans moving forward along with fellow additions safety Julian Love, defensive tackle Jarran Reed and linebacker Devin Bush.
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