Super Bowl 49: Seattle Seahawks Top 5 MVP Candidates

November 27, 2014; Santa Clara, CA, USA; Seattle Seahawks outside linebacker K.J. Wright (50) tackles San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick (7) during the fourth quarter at Levi

5. OLB K.J. Wright

If you haven’t become familiar with Wright, then you better, because he could be the next Super Bowl MVP at the linebacker position for the Seattle Seahawks. He received a four-year, $27 million extension last month for good reason, as he is coming off of the best season of his career with over 100 tackles, three forced fumbles, a couple of sacks, and some quietly excellent pass coverage.

The Seahawks pride themselves on having depth, speed, and athleticism all over their defense, and linebacker is no exception. Wright has now trumped Bobby Wagner as the best LB on the team, and I’d say that he’s their most underrated player overall. To get a glimpse of just how good he is, check out what he did against the Packers last week, particularly in coverage against linebackers and tight ends.

In high school, Wright was also a track and basketball star, so you know he’s the full package athletically. His speed has definitely translated into solid work in coverage, as he’s now one of the game’s best three-down linebackers, as evidenced by his new contract with the team. This is a guy who can help keep X-Factor Shane Vereen under control, and he also has the downhill run-stuffing ability to put in some work against the powerful LeGarrette Blount.

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