Every day between now and the Sept. 8 season opener, we at Seattle Sports are previewing each of the Seattle Seahawks’ 11 position groups. Today, we take a look at the outside linebackers.

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Links to our other position group previews will be included here as they are posted: Quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, offensive line, defensive line, inside linebacker, cornerback, safety and special teams.

Roster breakdown

Projected starters: Uchenna Nwosu, Boye Mafe

Projected backups: Dre’Mont Jones, Derick Hall, Trevis Gipson

Offseason summary

Who’s in: Seattle acquired Trevis Gipson from the Jacksonville Jaguars in an Aug. 26 trade.

Who’s out: The Seahawks traded former second-round pick Darrell Taylor to the Chicago Bears on Aug. 23. Devin Bush Jr. departed in free agency after one season in Seattle and the Seahawks released Frank Clark last December after a brief two-month reunion with him.

2024 outlook

This position group might have a larger gap between its floor and ceiling than any other unit on the team. Much of that is due to the uncertain status of Uchenna Nwosu, who suffered a knee injury in the preseason finale. It’s good news that Nwosu avoided landing on the physically unable to perform list, which indicates there’s a chance he might not miss the entirety of the four-week minimum that’s required by the PUP list. But given how significantly Seattle’s defense cratered after Nwosu’s season-ending pectoral injury last year, it’s imperative that he makes a relatively quick recovery. The other uncertainty is Dre’Mont Jones, who was sidelined for most of the past month with a pair of injuries. However, Jones reportedly was suited up during warmups for Monday’s practice, which is a good sign heading into Sunday’s season opener.

If Nwosu and Jones are both healthy for the long run, this group has considerable potential – especially with the influx of new head coach Mike Macdonald’s cutting-edge scheme, which excels at creatively mixing up pressures to confuse opposing offenses. During his last fully healthy season in 2022, Nwosu had 9.5 sacks. Boye Mafe is coming off a breakout nine-sack campaign. Jones had a bit of an underwhelming first season in Seattle last year, but totaled 18.5 sacks over his previous three seasons with the Denver Broncos. And if 2023 second-round pick Derick Hall can parlay a strong preseason into a breakout second year, this unit could really take off. This group also figures to benefit from a pair of additions at defensive tackle, as rookie first-round pick Byron Murphy II and veteran Johnathan Hankins should help improve Seattle’s struggling run defense and create more pass-rushing opportunities for Nwosu, Mafe, Jones & Co.

Uchenna Nwosu | 6-2, 251 | Age: 27 | 7th year

2023 stats: 2 sacks, 4 tackles for loss, 6 QB hits, 2 forced fumbles (6 games)

Nwosu is expected to miss the start of the season after suffering a knee injury in the preseason finale. It’s unclear how long he’ll be out, but the fact Seattle didn’t place him on the PUP list suggests there’s a chance he could return prior to Week 5. The Seahawks certainly hope he can make a quick recovery, as the past two seasons showed just how valuable he is to this defense.

After spending his first four seasons with the Los Angeles Chargers, Nwosu had a career-best 2022 campaign in Seattle, totaling 9.5 sacks and 12 tackles for loss. However, his absence was greatly felt last year following a season-ending pectoral injury in Week 7. In the six games he played, the Seahawks allowed 3.5 yards per carry and 6.6 yards per pass attempt. In the 11 games he missed, those numbers skyrocketed to 5.0 yards per carry and 7.7 yards per pass attempt. Nwosu’s health could be one of the most important storylines to follow this fall.

Boye Mafe | 6-4, 261 | Age: 25 | 3rd year

2023 stats: 9 sacks, 9 tackles for loss, 16 QB hits, 1 forced fumble, 6 pass breakups (16 games)

After spending most of his 2022 rookie season in a reserve role, Mafe exploded onto the scene with a breakout campaign last fall. The former second-round pick recorded a team-high nine sacks, while becoming just the third player in NFL history to post at least one sack in seven consecutive games. He also filled the stat sheet with nine tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a forced fumble. However, Mafe’s overall production dropped off in the second half of the season, with just two sacks and two tackles for loss over the final eight games. That mostly coincided with Nwosu’s absence, which enabled opponents to devote more attention to Mafe. With Nwosu expected to return at some point early in the season and a new scheme that could free up more pass-rushing opportunities, Mafe has star potential and could reach double-digit sacks.

Dre’Mont Jones | 6-3, 281 | Age: 27 | 6th year

2023 stats: 4.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, 12 QB hits (17 games)

When the Seahawks inked Jones to a three-year, $51 million contract in March 2023, it represented the most expensive free-agent acquisition of the Carroll era. The former third-round pick was coming off a strong first four seasons in Denver, totaling 22 sacks and 28 tackles for loss. However, his debut season in Seattle was somewhat underwhelming, at least relative to his massive deal. Jones posted 4.5 sacks and five tackles for loss, both of which were the lowest since his 2019 rookie campaign.

Jones is a prime candidate to benefit from Macdonald’s versatile scheme, given his ability to play both inside and outside. Last year, Jones primarily played defensive tackle for the first half of the season and then moved outside in the second half, due to Nwosu’s injury and the midseason acquisition of standout defensive lineman Leonard Williams. This year, he’s expected to remain outside for the majority of his snaps. But he’s also expected to move around on more of a play-by-play basis, which could create more advantageous matchups for him to exploit with his versatility. Jones missed most of the past month with a pair of injuries, but was in uniform during warmups for Monday’s practice, according to ESPN’s Brady Henderson.

Derick Hall | 6-3, 254 | Age: 23 | 2nd year

2023 stats: 0 sacks, 3 tackles for loss, 5 QB hits, 1 pass breakup (17 games)

Could Hall follow in Mafe’s footsteps and experience a second-year breakout? Like Mafe, Hall was a second-round pick. And like Mafe, Hall played in a reserve role as a rookie last year. Hall didn’t record a sack and he struggled against the run, missing four tackles and posting the worst Pro Football Focus run defense grade among qualified edge defenders. However, Hall did produce three tackles for loss and five quarterback hits. And he flashed this preseason, delivering one sack, eight quarterback hurries and a highlight-reel play where he blew up an attempted block by a tight end. If he can build on his strong preseason showing, Hall might be primed to make a leap this fall.

Trevis Gipson | 6-4, 263 | Age: 27 | 5th year

2023 stats (with Tennessee): 1 sack, 0 tackles for loss, 0 QB hits, 1 forced fumble (8 games)

The Seahawks acquired Gipson in an Aug. 26 trade with Jacksonville as a cheaper replacement for former second-round pick Darrell Taylor, who they traded away just three days prior. Gipson, a fifth-round pick by Chicago in 2020, spent his first three seasons with the Bears. He started 19 games in 2021 and 2022, while totaling 10 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, 18 quarterback hits, five pass breakups and five forced fumbles over those two seasons. Then after being released by Chicago, he spent the 2023 season with Tennessee and played sparingly for the Titans, logging one sack in just 76 defensive snaps. He then signed with the Jaguars in March. Gipson could play quite a bit early on, with Nwosu expected to miss the start of the season.

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