Do the Seahawks employ the two best DTs in all of football?

RC Nazemi

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Do the Seahawks employ the two best DTs in all of football? image

Photo Credit: Edwin Hooper

This NFL season has been full of surprises. Daniel Jones and the Colts were one of the best teams in the league to start the season, and now the Chicago Bears are leading the NFC. Did I mention Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs might miss the playoffs?

With all the surprises in the league, one of the most fun has been the Seattle Seahawks' reemergence.

Sam Darnold has been one of the best QBs in the league, Jaxson Smith-Njigba is one of the favorites to win OPOY, and Seattle’s defense has been nothing short of dominant. 

More: Jaxson Smith-Njigba’s numbers are outpacing more than just WR's

The Seahawks are 11th in the league in passing yards allowed (2,408), 2nd in rushing yards allowed (1,065), and 6th in total yards allowed (3,473). Where has this dominance stemmed from? 

If you take a deeper look into the trenches, you’ll find your answer. 

Byron Murphy II and Leonard Williams are the best DTs in football right now

Seattle’s success against the running game comes as no surprise with the way these two have been playing. They are absolutely wrecking games. 

Williams has been great for a number of years now, but it’s the emergence of second-year DT Byron Murphy II that’s made the difference. 

The Seahawks spent a first-round pick (16th) on Murphy II and got nowhere near the ROI they were hoping for in year one. He only ended up with half a sack and no other QB hits. In year two, however, his offseason work is paying off. 

On top of contributing to one of the best run-stopping defenses in the league, both Williams and Murphy II have totaled seven sacks this season, which leads not just the team but all DTs across the league.  

The two of them paired with Demarcus Lawrence and the return of Jarred Reed in the interior spells trouble for Seattle’s opponents through the rest of the season. 

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Contributing Writer