Seahawks’ Leonard Williams ranked NFL’s No. 1 DT by ESPN

Over the past two years, there’s a strong case that Leonard Williams’ dominance in the trenches has been underrated and underappreciated outside of the Pacific Northwest.

But on Thursday morning, the “Big Cat” received a major accolade.

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The Seattle Seahawks veteran standout is the NFL’s No. 1 defensive tackle in ESPN’s annual position group rankings, which factor in surveys of league executives, coaches and scouts. The 32-year-old Williams was ranked ahead of Tennessee’s Jeffery Simmons (No. 2), Philadelphia’s Jalen Carter (No. 3), Kansas City’s Chris Jones (N0. 4) and Carolina’s Derrick Brown (No. 5).

“He was the most important player on that Super Bowl team,” an NFL coordinator said, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “He’s the total package.”

The 6-foot-5, 310-pound Williams has excelled in Mike Macdonald’s defense since arriving in a 2023 midseason trade with the New York Giants.

In 2024, Williams racked up 11.0 sacks and 16 tackles for loss, both of which were the most among all NFL defensive tackles. He also had a 92-yard pick-six and three pass breakups that season. And yet, he was initially snubbed from a Pro Bowl selection before being added as an alternate.

Williams followed that with 7.0 sacks and nine tackles for loss in 2025, while serving as a game-wrecking force for Seattle’s top-ranked scoring defense during the team’s Super Bowl-winning run. He received a Pro Bowl nod and was a second-team All-Pro.

Williams’ 18.0 sacks over the past two seasons are the most among all defensive tackles.

“You can line him up in front of the right tackle, the right guard, the center, the left guard, the left tackle – he can beat them all,” a veteran NFC defensive coach said. “He’s always had game-changing ability, and he’s putting it all together now. And those around him are making plays because of it too.”

Meanwhile, fellow Seahawks standout Byron Murphy II finished just outside the top 10 as one of three honorable mentions in ESPN’s defensive tackle rankings. Murphy, a 2024 first-round draft pick, tied for third among all defensive tackles with 7.0 sacks this past season.

“He’s so explosive,” a veteran NFL defensive coach said. “Teams double him, and he can break through it.”

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