When the 2025 season began, Drake Thomas and Ty Okada were not core pieces of the Seattle Seahawks defensive plan. In fact they played only 15 and 6 snaps in Week 1, respectively.
Eight weeks later, that has changed in a big way. Okada has now played 367 defensive snaps, and 74 on special teams. Thomas has played 316 defensive snaps and 105 on special teams. The two undrafted players have been massive contributors, and have their starting jobs locked up, for at least a little while longer.
Every NFL team preaches “Next man up,” much like every coach says they want to be a physical football team. But this year, the division-leading Seahawks have embraced that mantra in a very real way.
For two different reasons, I might add! Safety Okada was thrust into his role while the trio of Nick Emmanwori, Devon Witherspoon, and Julian Love were injured. Up one level, it took linebacker Thomas just around a month to win the starting job from last year’s starter, Tyrice Knight.
Since then, the job’s been Thomas’s. And he’s excelling.
Not to be outdone, so has Okada. People are having a great time with the interception he just made Sunday Night, but I’m thinking of the preseason pick of Malik Willis, which was one of the single coolest plays I’ve ever seen.
At 5’11” – both of them, Ty Okada comes out of Montana State, while Drake Thomas is from North Carolina State. Neither player was drafted in the 2023 draft, but Seattle signed Okada while the Las Vegas Raiders had Thomas until they cut him one day and John Schneider snatched him off waivers.
Now, the NFL’s best defense has both third-year players in starting roles, with over 100 more snaps than Witherspoon, about the same amount as Byron Murphy.
The great boon for the Seahawks is far more than these two not being weaknesses. As already shown, both these guys seem to have a knack for playmaking. Thomas has three sacks and six TFLs already, while Okada has that stupendous interception, a sack of his own, and a handful of nifty pass breakups.
I asked an unfair question, but you, the people have spoken! A thousand of you at least.
I would say if you change the question to “most surprising” it’s gotta be Okada for sure. Thomas came at this more slowly, and had the bigger hype. I think Okada’s had the greater consistency and play-to-play impact on the defense, but Okada has replaced Pro Bowler Julian freakin Love and been tremendous.
It takes these kinds of contributions to be a special team in the long haul of an NFL season. Right now, these Seahawks are packed with impact players up and down the roster.
Now, Julian Love’s setback means Okada is here to stay awhile longer. Thomas already had his job, but the injury to Ernest Jones means he’s more of the momentum-carrier at LB into the second half than Tyrice Knight.
I’m not worried about them in the slightest. Are you?
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