The Seattle Seahawks have already made one veteran move to address their pass rush, but ESPN still sees edge rusher depth as a position worth watching.
ESPN’s recent look at the biggest remaining roster holes for all 32 NFL teams identified edge rusher depth as Seattle’s top concern after the draft. The outlet noted that the Seahawks lost Boye Mafe in free agency, did not fully replace his role through the draft and are still relying heavily on a rotation led by DeMarcus Lawrence, Uchenna Nwosu and Derick Hall.
That is where Joey Bosa remains an interesting name.
Pro Football Focus analyst Bradley Locker recently named the Seahawks as an ideal landing spot for Bosa, writing that Seattle watched Mafe leave for Cincinnati and “has yet to directly replace his role.” Locker called Bosa a “slam-dunk find” for Seattle and pointed to his 85.5 PFF pass-rush grade and 20.1% pass-rush win rate on true pass sets from last season.
There is one important update: Seattle has since agreed to terms with veteran edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. on a one-year deal worth up to $5 million. That move gives the Seahawks another rotational option and a veteran who has history with defensive coordinator Aden Durde.
Still, Fowler does not necessarily end the conversation. He makes the Bosa idea more complicated — and probably less urgent — but not impossible.
Seattle Seahawks Need More EDGE Depth, ESPN Says, and Joey Bosa Could Fill That
Seattle’s pass-rush situation is less about lacking starters and more about whether the Seahawks have enough quality snaps to support the way they want to play defense.
ESPN framed the issue around depth. The Seahawks rotated their top edge rushers heavily last season, with their top four all playing between 36% and 56% of defensive snaps. That kind of plan only works if Seattle has multiple rushers who can win without being overextended.
Mafe’s departure created the original opening. Lawrence is 34. Nwosu will turn 30 in December. Hall gives Seattle a younger ascending player, but behind that group the Seahawks were thin before adding Fowler.
Fowler helps. He has 58.5 career sacks and brings experience across several defensive systems. But he is also 31, coming off a 3-sack season with the Dallas Cowboys and profiles more as a rotational piece than a true centerpiece.
Bosa would be different. He would not have to play every down in Seattle, but he could give the Seahawks a more dangerous pass-rush option in high-leverage situations, especially on third down, late in games and against NFC contenders with top quarterbacks.
That is the logic behind the PFF fit. Seattle does not need Bosa to be a 900-snap star. The Seahawks would need him to be efficient, disruptive and fresh.
Joey Bosa is Still Producing Amidst a 77-Sack, 5-Time Pro Bowl Career
Bosa’s name still carries weight because the production has not disappeared.
The former No. 3 overall pick has 77 career sacks, according to Pro Football Reference, and the Chargers described him as a five-time Pro Bowler when they parted ways with him in 2025. NFL.com’s career stats page credits Bosa with 5 sacks in 15 games for the Buffalo Bills last season, following seasons of 5, 6.5, 2.5 and 10.5 sacks from 2021 through 2024.
The concern is durability and cost. Bosa has not played a full regular season since 2021, and that is why any Seahawks fit would have to be viewed through a rotation lens.
But that is also what makes Seattle logical. The Seahawks would not be asking Bosa to rescue a bad pass rush by himself. They would be adding him to a front that can already feature Lawrence, Nwosu, Hall, Fowler and interior disruptor Leonard Williams.
A healthy Bosa in that kind of group would give Mike Macdonald more flexibility. Seattle could keep rushers fresh, vary fronts and avoid leaning too heavily on Lawrence or Nwosu deep into the season.
For a team trying to contend, that matters. Pass-rush depth often looks like a luxury in May and June. By December, it can become the difference between closing games and watching quarterbacks escape clean pockets.
Seahawks Tipped to Add 77-Sack Pro Bowler Amid Final Depth Chart Moves