Does Seahawks DL Leonard Williams have a case for DPOY?

Dec 28, 2024, 10:20 AM | Updated: 10:22 am

Leonard Williams of the Seattle Seahawks reacts after a sack during a Dec. 26, 2024 game. (Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

(Quinn Harris/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald is usually tempered in the praise he gives to his players, but he let it be known Thursday just how highly he thinks of defensive lineman Leonard Williams.

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“He should be up for all the accolades. I don’t what the awards are out there, but I would give it to him,” Macdonald said following the Seahawks’ 6-3 victory over the Chicago Bears. “I mean, he’s just a phenomenal player, phenomenal human being, and I’m glad he’s a Seahawk, man. Glad he’s with us.”

Williams delivered another strong performance against Chicago, stuffing the stat sheet with five tackles, four quarterback hits, three tackles for loss and two sacks to add to what’s been a stellar season for the for the 10-year pro. In 15 games, the USC product has amassed 59 tackles, 26 quarterback hits, a career-high 15 tackles for loss, nine sacks, three passes defended, a pick-six and a blocked kick. He leads the team QB hits, tackles for loss and sacks.

Williams, who signed a three-year, $62 million extension with Seattle in the offseason, himself called it one of the best seasons of his lengthy NFL career.

“I think this is definitely one of my best seasons. I have a better season like stat-wise,” said Williams, who posted a career-best 11.5 sacks in 2020 with the New York Giants. “… But I think this year has definitely been like more just dominant. And when I say that, it’s not all about the stats and things like that to me. It’s more of just like how I’m playing blocks, how I’m affecting every play. And I think when you turn on the film, you would be able to see that.”

Is the campaign Williams is putting together enough to be considered for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award? Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk discussed whether or not the standout defensive lineman should be in that conversation Friday.

Williams has history working against him when it comes to his chances for the prestigious award. Interior defensive lineman are asked to do the dirty work in the trenches and oftentimes don’t generate the stats need to match edge rushers, linebackers and defensive backs.

However, “He really fills up the box score,” co-host Mike Salk said, “and with a lot of defensive lineman you find yourself saying, ‘Well, he dominated the game, but it won’t show up in the box score.’ He dominates the game, and it shows up on the box score.”

Leo takes him down. 🚫 pic.twitter.com/4mDgYh6FN1

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) September 15, 2024

Only one interior defensive lineman has won the award since the turn of century: Former Los Angeles Rams defensive tackle Aaron Donald, who won it in 2017, 2018 and 2020. The most recent interior D-lineman to claim the award other than Donald was Hall of Famer Warren Sapp in 1999.

But former NFL quarterback Brock Huard sees this year’s candidates for Defensive Player of the Year as a wide-open field.

“This is not a year where you see a huge sack number,” Huard said. “(Trey) Hendrickson in Cincinnati leads the league with 13.5. Leonard’s got nine. This isn’t a TJ Watt 20-sack season. This this isn’t somebody running away from it. There’s (Houston’s) Danielle Hunter with 12, (Cleveland’s) Myles Garrett with 12 and (Baltimore’s Kyle) Van Noy is having a very nice year (with 11.5 sacks).”

Williams is tied for 13th in the league in sacks and tied for 24th with 52 pressures, but he rises up the rankings quite a bit when looking just at interior defensive lineman. His nine sacks are third among that group and his pressures are tied for sixth, according to Pro Football Focus. He’s also fifth among defensive tackles in ESPN’s pass-rush-win-rate metric at 14%.

LEO TAKES IT HOME. pic.twitter.com/BzcOiWAM5g

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) December 1, 2024

“There is nobody doing what Leonard’s doing as a defensive tackle,” Huard said. “(Most) of these guys that are ahead of him in the sack column from (Washington’s Dante) Fowler to (Dallas’ Micah) Parsons to (Minnesota’s Andrew) Van Ginkel … they’re all edge players. He is doing this from the interior.”

But Huard feels like it may not be enough for a player who hasn’t been a household name like other candidates such as Garrett, a five-time All-Pro who won the award last year.

“He’s maybe not a big enough name, but he should be in consideration and maybe looking for some votes in Defensive Player of the Year, because he’s had that kind of impact,” Huard said.

Listen to the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Tune into Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.