Big Ray: What makes Seahawks’ Leonard Williams so tough to block

Leonard Williams has been a disruptive force along the Seattle Seahawks’ defensive line this season.

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The 10th-year veteran has put up decent stats, totaling 2.5 sacks, four tackles for loss and 14 quarterback hits in nine games. But his impact goes beyond the traditional numbers.

Williams is ranked 14th out of 116 interior defensive linemen in Pro Football Focus grading, including ninth in run defense grading. He is fourth among defensive tackles in ESPN’s pass-rush win rate. And he is tied for 12th among interior defensive linemen with 29 pressures, according to PFF.

What makes the 6-foot-5, 300-pound Williams so challenging for opposing offensive linemen to deal with? Seahawks Radio Network analyst Ray Roberts, a former NFL offensive lineman himself, was asked that question while filling in on Friday’s Blue 88 segment on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

“He’s a big dude, but not the biggest guy,” Roberts said. “He’s a strong guy, but not the strongest dude. He’s athletic, but not the most athletic guy in the world. But his effort is relentless. This dude does not give up on the play.

“And I’ll be honest with you, there are times as an offensive lineman (when) you have a little internal clock. You go like, ‘OK, the running back should probably be at this point in the run’ or ‘the quarterback may have already thrown the ball.’ There’s a little clock in your head. Well, he destroys the clock, because the minute you decide to maybe let up just a little bit is when he destroys people.”

Williams has excelled in Seattle since coming over in a midseason trade from the New York Giants last year. In 10 games with the Seahawks last season, he had four sacks, nine tackles for loss and 11 QB hits. He was credited by PFF with 17 pressures in those 10 games, which was tied for eighth among all interior defensive linemen over that span.

Williams sat out practice Wednesday and Thursday with a foot injury, but was listed as a full participant on Friday’s practice report. That means he’s on track to play in Sunday’s key NFC West clash against the first-place Arizona Cardinals at Lumen Field.

Williams also appeared on Seattle’s injury report last week. He sat out last Wednesday’s practice and was limited last Thursday and Friday before playing 49 defensive snaps in the Seahawks’ 20-17 win over the San Francisco 49ers this past Sunday.

“He’s a big man. He’s an athletic dude. He’s a smart guy,” Roberts said. “But the thing that I see in him more than anything is his relentless effort. It is just unbelievable how many times he looks blocked, and by the end of the play, he’s making the tackle for a minimal gain or he’s getting pressure on the quarterback.”

Listen to the full Blue 88 segment at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune in to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6 to 10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

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