Nfl Analyst Explains How Losing Riq Woolen Could Affect ‘multiplicity’ In Seahawks Defense

The Hawks Eye is going back into the football classroom this week with one of the sharpest defensive minds in the game, Cody Alexander of Match Quarters.

This show will center around the evolution of Mike Macdonald’s defense, why the Seattle Seahawks unit made such a dramatic leap in 2025, and what the future of the Seahawks defense could look like heading into 2026.

One of the biggest things I’m excited to discuss with Cody is what actually changed in Seattle last season. Beyond the statistics and rankings, what philosophical shifts allowed the defense to become one of the toughest units in football to consistently attack? What made the system so difficult for offenses to solve? And how sustainable is that success moving forward?

Conversations like these are always fascinating because great defenses are rarely built on just one thing. It’s not simply about pressure packages or coverage disguise. It’s about how structure, communication, player responsibilities, and coaching philosophy all tie together to create stress on offenses week after week.

We’ll also spend time discussing one of the biggest offseason storylines surrounding the Seahawks defense: the departures of Riq Woolen, Boye Mafe, and Coby Bryant.

How much do those losses truly matter within Macdonald’s system? Is this a defense capable of absorbing personnel changes because of its structure and coaching? Or are there specific players and roles that become much harder to replace than people realize?

Cody Alexander on changes to Seahawks defense

(Segment starts at 19:23)

“Yeah, so I think you look at what they did with Bud Clark, who’s kind of that hybrid hash safety guy, fits really well in there,” Alexander said. “Julian Neal, who they drafted, is going to be a third corner. To me I think [Josh] Jobe’s ascendance into being a legitimate starter was a really big deal.

“I think it would be losing Riq Woolen, who I thought was kind of inevitable. He just didn’t fit in the fact that those corners need to be really physical. They want to play a lot of Cover 2. They need you to be around the ball when they run, especially against the—I mean, let’s be honest, it’s wide zone central in the in the [NFC] West at this point, right? I mean, everybody’s basically doing the same offense. So, you need those physical corners. That just wasn’t part of of what Woolen wanted to do, which I wasn’t shocked. He goes to the Eagles. They ran the most man last year, probably going to do the same this year.

“So to me, when you look at this defense, you’re going to lose a little bit of your multiplicity. It’s going to be a lot harder for you to play in that dime look that a lot of people want to do, especially—‘Hey, we get 11 personnel. Hey, let’s get into some dime now. We really kill your passing game. And if you want to run on us, do it. We’ve got Witherspoon and [Nick] Emmanwori right there. You’re not going to be running in into the box.’ And so to me, I think that is the biggest one right there is that losing Woolen doesn’t allow you to always kick in [Devon] Witherspoon. Now, if Julian Neal comes in and he’s great, maybe Nehemiah Pritchett in his third year, you feel really good about him and hey, ‘I think he can survive over by himself to the field,’ then that changes it a little bit. But that to me is the biggest one.

“And then two, look, I like Ty Okada. He’s been really, really good. But we haven’t seen him play full-time and he’s been good in the games that he’s played and he’s had to be a starter. Does Bud Clark come in and unseat him? Is Bud Clark going to give you the same production that you got from that safety spot opposite, you know, Julian Love?

“So, those are questions that I have. I think you’re going to be less multiple in that sense personnel-wise, but I don’t think the scheme in particular is going to change.”

We’ll also discuss Seattle’s draft additions and how they fit into the broader identity of the defense moving forward. The conversation will focus on traits, versatility, role flexibility, and the type of players Seattle appears to prioritize under Macdonald as the roster continues to evolve.

Another major discussion point will be whether this defense can actually get better in 2026. Opposing offenses now have two full seasons of tape on Macdonald’s system, which makes the next stage of defensive evolution even more important. Can Seattle stay ahead of the league as offenses begin adjusting?

If you enjoy thoughtful football conversations that go beyond surface-level analysis, this should be a fun one.

Stay Loud, Be Proud & Go Hawks!

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