Staying one step ahead of the Los Angeles Rams remains the priority for the Seattle Seahawks, so it’s a good thing head coach Mike Macdonald is hyping a secret potential starter to maintain his team’s superiority in a vital area.
The Seahawks are confident they don’t need to be too upset nor worried about the many star-studded moves the Rams have made this offseason. Macdonald and Co.’s confidence comes from their belief the roster has greater strength in depth than their rivals at key spots, including the secondary.
Maintaining strength on the back end of the NFL’s toughest defense is why “Macdonald is touting how much Nehemiah Pritchett will get a chance in his third NFL preseason with Seattle to be a rotating, first-team cornerback,” according to Gregg Bell of The Tacoma News Tribune.
Betting on Prtichett doing more is something of a risk when he’s made just one start during two seasons in the NFL. Yet, the potential reward of getting Pritchett on the field more often can make a Seahawks’ team strength even better.
Nehemiah Pritchett Gives Mike Macdonald More Options
Bell explained how having Pritchett start outside the numbers can positively impact bigger names in the Seahawks’ secondary. Specifically, three-time Pro Bowler Devon Witherspoon.
The latter can shift inside, where he’s more effective in more ways, if Macdonald has options he trusts on the perimeter. Bell noted how “Pritchett was that, with Witherspoon inside at nickel, during offseason practices this spring.”
This is good news because Witherspoon is in line to receive a massive contract extension precisely due to his talent as a disruptive playmaker from the slot. Witherspoon’s role on the inside is key to Macdonald’s creative schemes, evidenced by how his blitzing baffled and battered the New England Patriots and quarterback Drake Maye in Super Bowl LX.
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Keeping Witherspoon in the slot depends on Pritchett successfully taking on the role occupied by Riq Woolen last season. Woolen was boom or bust in coverage, but he did present a physical mismatch as a 6-foot-4, 210-pounder who could stay clamped on in man coverage.
Pritchett can’t match Woolen’s frame, but he does exhibit similar sticky traits in one-on-one matchups. Like when the fifth-round pick in the 2024 NFL draft made this remarkable play to deny Marvin Harrison Jr. against the Arizona Cardinals last season.
This kind of playmaking talent is probably why Macdonald believes Pritchett merits more playing time. He won’t be the same kind of marquee newcomer the Rams added, but Pritchett could be just as important in the arms race for NFC supremacy.
Rams Going Bold to Leapfrog Seahawks
Splash moves have been the theme of this offseason for the Rams, particularly in the secondary. That’s where the Seahawks’ main rivals acquired All-Pro Trent McDuffie via trade, and also signed his fellow Super Bowl-winning former Kansas City Chiefs teammate Jaylen Watson in free agency.
Adding star power like this contrasts with the low-key moves the Seahawks have made in response. Moves like promoting Pritchett, taking journeyman Noah Igbinoghene off the veteran market and using a third-round pick in this year’s draft to select Julian Neal.
Quantity over quality can keep the Seahawks solid at cornerback, while the safety group is more dynamic than what the Rams can put onto the field. Roving wrecking ball Nick Emmanwori will continue to be the catalyst for Macdonald’s pressure packages, while second-round pick Bud Clark is already using a franchise great as inspiration for his bid to make an instant impact.
Clark and Emmanwori making plays in front of savvy centerfielder Julian Love will maintain the integrity of the most flexible and destructive defensive backfield in the league. A group with more room to grow, thanks to the upside of players like Pritchett, than the Rams’ established names.
Secret Starter Gives Seahawks Edge Over Rams