Seattle Seahawks: Surprising team MVP candidates

Defensive MVP Candidates

Removing Adams and Wagner from consideration leaves only a handful of candidates who could win Seattle’s defensive MVP. While the offense features a loaded core of young but proven talents, most of Seattle’s key defenders remain controversial. Even K.J. Wright, who served as a rock for the Seahawks over the past decade, could lose starting snaps this season.

Outside of Wagner, the only Pro Bowl defender Seattle employed last year was Shaquill Griffin. After two up-and-down seasons, Griffin talked his Pro Bowl campaign into existence. The young cornerback remained positive throughout the 2019 offseason, and his evolving dedication paid off last year. I wonder who could’ve seen that significant leap coming.

With modern offenses placing so much emphasis on the air attack, lockdown corners are in high demand. The Seahawks needed Griffin to step up after Sherman’s departure, and he eventually delivered. While Griffin didn’t intercept a pass last season, the UCF product swatted away 13 and kept top threats in check.

Several months ago, Pro Football Focus’ Ben Linsey detailed Griffin’s improvement,

"Two seasons ago, Griffin recorded a coverage grade of 48.1 and an overall grade of 50.7. That’s not what you want to see out of one of your starting cornerbacks. However, 2019 was a different story entirely. Griffin earned a coverage grade of 77.0 that ranked 14th among qualifying cornerbacks, and it stemmed from his ability to make plays on the football. He forced incompletions on 14 of his 66 targets this season for a forced incompletion rate of 21.2% that ranked second among all cornerbacks with 50 or more targets."

However, Griffin isn’t the only player who could submit a surprising defensive MVP campaign this year. L.J. Collier, who took a beating for his horrendous rookie season, is in the perfect position to make a monumental impact. The Seahawks desperately need a sack artist. Without Jadeveon Clowney, the team lacks a proven Pro Bowl pass-rusher. Collier could deliver on his first-round stock in 2020.

As a rookie, Collier suffered an injury during training camp. He never got fully prepped for the season, and it showed. With a full (and hectic) offseason under his belt, the TCU product is ready to hit the reset button on his career. His emergence could help Jarran Reed recapture his 2018 form. Reed registered 10.5 sacks two years ago but finished with only two last season.

The final two players I’d keep an eye on are Quandre Diggs and Bruce Irvin. Diggs could see a lot of action playing alongside Adams, and he might even get some snaps in the nickel if the Seahawks go with a three-safety nickel defense. Irvin could also see snaps at two positions. He’s experienced in the LEO role and recorded a career-high 8.5 sacks last season. However, Seattle could drop him to the linebacker level on some plays. That level of dynamic usage always produced unique opportunities.