​The Seattle Seahawks, reigning Super Bowl champions, will roll into the season with hopes of repeating as champions in just a couple of months. While the franchise reshaped several positions over the offseason, the core of the defense that carried Seattle to the title remains in place. And in a standout development, one of the unit’s brightest stars has earned a new, notable accolade.
ESPN recently polled NFL executives, coaches, and scouts to assemble a ranking of the league’s top 10 defensive tackles. For the first time in his career, Seahawks stalwart Leonard Williams has ascended to the No. 1 spot. Williams had never previously cracked the top five in ESPN’s rankings since the project began in 2020, yet his longtime potential and his recent performance have elevated him to the pinnacle of the position. In Seattle’s defensive scheme under coach Mike Macdonald, Williams has maximized his impact over the past two seasons, cementing himself as a cornerstone of the Seahawks’ front seven.
In ESPN’s ranking, Williams sits at No. 5 on the list, a notable jump from his previous best finish of No. 8. Since arriving in Seattle, he has immediately become one of the defense’s most indispensable players. Those around the league now find it difficult to imagine the Seahawks without his presence at the line of scrimmage. “He was the most important player on that Super Bowl team,” one anonymous NFL coordinator told ESPN, calling him “the total package.”
Williams’ journey to Seattle began with the New York Jets, followed by a 2023 arrival in the Pacific Northwest after a pair of trades. Across his career, he has experienced multiple defensive systems, but Seattle’s scheme has provided the best fit and strongest support he has encountered. His impact has been increasingly evident, and he has earned back-to-back Pro Bowl selections, establishing himself as the NFL’s top-ranked defensive tackle.
One of the defining moments of Williams’ career came in 2024, when he returned an interception 92 yards for a touchdown, a play that encapsulated his versatility and big-play ability. If you asked Williams to name his greatest achievement, he would likely point to winning Super Bowl LX, a milestone that already secures his place in team lore. Yet the bigger question looms: can he and the Seahawks replicate their championship feat in 2026?
As the 2026 season approaches, the Seahawks hope to align Williams’ continued excellence with a defense that remains intact and dangerous. With the star linchpin at the center of the line and a coaching staff that has optimized his talents, Seattle hopes to become one of the few teams to pull off back-to-back championships—a rare feat in today’s NFL. Williams’ ascent to the top of ESPN’s defensive tackle rankings adds another layer of intrigue to Seattle’s quest, signaling that the Seahawks are still a premier destination for elite defensive talent. If Seattle can maintain the chemistry and performance that propelled them to the title, Williams’ presence could be the decisive factor in pushing the franchise toward another championship run in the near future.