Leonard Williams has the chance to go down as one of the best defensive tackles of this generation, and a Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl LX win would do wonders for that case.
If you’ve been following the Seahawks this season, you should know Williams is one of the most underrated players not just on the team, but in the entire NFL. Defensive tackles don’t get the recognition they deserve. Stats like tackles, sacks, forced fumbles, and fumble recoveries don’t do the job justice. Williams will have games where he has one or zero tackles, no sacks, and doesn’t create a turnover– but is the best player on the entire defense.
His athleticism becomes more apparent the more you watch the game. If you can recall the last time you saw a 6’5”, 300 pound human being move like Leonard Williams, reach out to me on Twitter- because I can hardly think of any. I’ve never seen someone his size get out to the flats to tackle a receiver, until watching him do it once a game. For an offense like the Patriots that hits their short perimeter routes to build momentum before hitting defenses over the top, Williams’ uncanny ability to get back into a play after a pass is thrown is key to stopping that momentum in its tracks before it develops. But to do it at his position is something New England hasn’t faced all year.
But that’s not even close to his main objective. That would be defeating the New England Patriots improved yet penetrable offensive line. For most of the game, he’ll be going toe to toe, hand to hand and shoulder pad to shoulder pad with Patriots’ center Garrett Bradberry and guards Jared Wilson and Mike Onwenu. Luckily, Williams has been defeating improving offensive lines all season.
While he wasn’t going to get NFL Defensive Player of the Year consideration in a year when Miles Garrett beat Michael Strahan’s 25-year-old single-season sack record, Williams’ importance to the best defense in football will live on in the minds of NFL media and executives who will influence the Hall of Fame vote. If the Seahawks cap this season off by winning the 60th Lombardi Trophy, he’ll be well on his way- and at just 31 years of age with 11 seasons already under his belt, he’s showing no signs of slowing down. He did post a cryptic message on Twitter this weekend using the phrase “last dance”, but all signs point to him finishing his current contract in 2026. He seems to be enjoying his time in the Darkside defense, though, and maybe that’ll keep him going longer than he originally planned.
This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Leonard Williams- Hall Of Fame case with Seahawks Super Bowl Win?
