Jan 5, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks Free Safety Julian Love (20) intercepts the ball from Los Angeles Rams Wide Receive Tyler Johnson (18) during the 2nd quarter at SoFi Stadium. William Navarro-Imagn Images

Seattle Seahawks have 2 named to initial PFF top 101 list

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated Feb 18, 2025 9:00 AM ET

While the Seattle Seahawks may not have what many consider big-name stars in the NFL currently on their roster, a few players are undeniably among the league's best.

Cornerback Devon Witherspoon, defensive lineman Leonard Williams and wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba were all Pro Bowl selections this season, even though the latter two were initially alternates. Those aren't the team's only standouts, however.

Pro Football Focus released Nos. 101-80 on its top 101 players list, and two Seahawks players landed in that range. Safety Julian Love (No. 101) and left tackle Charles Cross (No. 89) were the initial Seahawks to be named.

S Julian Love

"Seattle reached a three-year, $36 million extension with Pro Bowl safety back in July, which Love answered with a career year in 2024," PFF writers Mason Cameron and Dalton Wasserman wrote. "Love was the fourth-highest-graded safety in PFF’s advanced coverage grading and held the second-highest PFF run-defense grade (89.5) at the position, showcasing his massive impact in both facets."

Love had another strong season prowling Seattle's defensive backfield, logging 109 tackles, three tackles for loss, three interceptions and two forced fumbles. His 89 solo tackles total ranked eighth among all safeties, and he is likely to remain a coveted member of the Seattle defense for the remainder of his contract under head coach Mike Macdonald.

LT Charles Cross

"This past season was a breakout year for Cross, as he generated his best PFF grades to date, setting new high watermarks as both a run (77.9) and pass (81.3) blocker," Cameron and Wasserman wrote. "The Hawks tackle is a powerful road-grader in gap concepts, grading in the 94th percentile among tackles."

Cross, while being praised by PFF, still struggled at times during the 2024 season in an offensive line that had multiple rotating parts. It's hard to pin the struggles on Cross, as he was indeed one of the bright spots on an otherwise abysmal offensive front. Heading into the final year of his rookie deal, the Seahawks will likely lock down Cross for years to come to avoid searching for his replacement.

Love and Cross are likely the first of multiple Seahawks to land on PFF's list. Witherspoon, Williams and Smith-Njigba are likely candidates, but Seattle could have even more that earn high recognition.