One Seahawks Defender Just Got Voted the Best at His Job. Here’s Why Nobody’s Arguing.

The Seattle Seahawks are coming off a Super Bowl win. And if you’re looking for the biggest reason they hoisted the trophy, you might want to look at the middle of their defensive line.

Leonard Williams just topped ESPN’s annual defensive tackle rankings, and it’s not close. ESPN polled over 70 NFL scouts, coaches and executives to put the list together. Williams came out at No. 1. That’s not a surprise to anyone who watched him play last season.

One NFL coordinator put it bluntly. “He was the most important player on that Super Bowl team,” the coordinator told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. “He’s the total package.”

What makes Williams so hard to block

Williams put up seven sacks in 2025. That’s good for a defensive tackle. But his real impact shows up in the run game. He posted a 38 percent run stop win rate, which is absurd for a guy who also rushes the passer. He can do both, and he does both at an elite level.

Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald runs a complicated defensive scheme. It works because Williams can handle whatever gets thrown at him. A veteran NFC defensive coach explained it like this: “You can line him up in front of the right tackle, the right guard, the center, the left guard, the left tackle. He can beat them all. He’s always had game-changing ability, and he’s putting it all together now. And those around him are making plays because of it too.”

Multiple offensive coaches told ESPN that Williams was the toughest player to guard in all of football last year. Think about that — offensive coaches spend all week scheming for the other team’s best players. They said Williams was the hardest.

Can Seattle’s defense carry them again?

The Seahawks lost some key pieces this offseason. That’s what happens when you win a Super Bowl and guys get paid. But Williams is still there, anchoring that front. They’ll need another monster season from him if they want to make another run.

It’s rare for a defensive tackle to get this kind of respect across the league. They don’t put up flashy stats. They don’t get the endorsement deals. But ask any offensive lineman who they least want to see across from them and you’ll hear Williams’ name a lot.

One more thing. The Seahawks’ defense was called the “Dark Side” last season. It earned that nickname. Williams was the center of it all, literally and figuratively. And now the entire league knows it.