The Seahawks have some young and underrated talents on their roster. One of the most crucial heading into the 2024 season is third-year outside linebacker Boye Mafe. After not seeing the field much as a rookie, Mafe broke out in 2022, posting nine sacks, 16 quarterback hits and 25 pressures in 808 total defensive snaps (72%).
If Seattle is going to make all the doom and gloom predictions of this offseason prove false, then the team is going to need players like Mafe to step up even more in 2024. Mafe has been named the Seahawks’ most underappreciated player on the team, via Tom Blair at NFL.com:
“Mafe’s spot atop the team’s sacks leaderboard (nine) can’t be ignored. Neither can the franchise record he set for consecutive games with at least one sack (seven). Seahawks fans are surely aware of his Year 2 breakout. His spot on this list is for anyone who might still see Mafe as somewhat unproven after an unremarkable rookie year, or who might have lost sight of his emergence after the Seahawks fell short of a playoff berth. Mike Macdonald wasn’t brought in to salvage a lost defense; he has pieces to work with, and Mafe is definitely a key one.”
One thing Mafe has working in his favor is a coach who knows how to get the most out of his edge rotation. Last season in Baltimore both Kyle Van Noy and Jadeveon Clowney were exceptionally productive as pass rushers compared to the previous few years of their respective careers. If Mike Macdonald can engineer a similar boost with Mafe and the equally underappreciated Uchenna Nwosu, it will go a long way towards making Seattle’s defense respectable again.
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