Latest news with #LeonardWilliams
USA Today
7 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Seahawks DL Leonard Williams named to \
NFL Top 100 Players of 2025:@Seahawks DL Leonard Williams lands at No. 99! #NFLTop100 @NFLFilms Seattle Seahawks veteran defensive lineman Leonard Williams is aging like fine wine. Williams was terrific in 2024, recording 64 tackles and 11.5 sacks, the second-most QB takedowns in his 10-year career. He qualified for his second Pro Bowl as a result. The accolades have consistently rolled in for Williams this offseason as a result. He was No. 99 on the NFL's Top 100 list, and was also named the sixth-best defensive tackle in the NFL by ESPN. With training camp starting around the league, CBS Sports recently released an article outlining the top 30 players in the NFL aged 30 or older. Williams clocked in at No. 14 overall. "Another one of the game's underrated players, Williams has been one of the premier interior pass rushers for several years now," Jeff Kerr wrote. "He finished with 55 pressures, 28 quarterback hits and 11.0 sacks last season -- earning a Pro Bowl nod. There's a case to be made that Williams should have been an All-Pro in 2024. He's thriving in Mike Macdonald's defensive scheme." Leonard should enjoy another big-time season in Mike Macdonald's scheme this year. The Seahawks upgraded their defense this offseason, adding exciting talents like DeMarcus Lawrence and Nick Emmanwori. Continuity and personnel upgrades should help Williams be dominant again in 2025.
USA Today
05-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Ex-New York Giants DE Leonard Williams named to Top 100 Players of 2025
During the NFL offseason, players are asked to vote on the top 100 players in the league. Then, the NFL creates a ranking of those players based on the votes, and we're in the midst of the reveal. While no current New York Giants players have been revealed yet, former Giants defensive end Leonard Williams was named the 99th-best player in the league heading into the 2025 season. 2024 stats: 16 games | 64 tackles | 16 tfl | 11 sacks | 1 INT | 1 TD What did Williams do to celebrate hitting the decade mark in the NFL? Nothing major, apart from producing his finest season yet. He reached double-digit sacks for the second time as a pro and snapped a seven-year Pro Bowl drought during his first full campaign with the Seahawks. His 87.1 PFF defensive grade marked the best in his career by far, something he'll look to build on now that he's fully immersed in Mike Macdonald's scheme. NFL Pro Insight for Williams: Williams generated 50 total pressures last season, the fourth-most among defensive tackles. Williams also recorded a position-high 11.0 sacks and finished with the second-highest sack rate (2.5%) among defensive tackles with at least 200 pass rushes (Dexter Lawrence, 2.9%). When the Giants traded Leonard to the Seattle Seahawks, many fans were surprised and saddened to see him go. He's a player who doesn't get injured often, and when he does, he doesn't miss many games, if any, and he's consistently among the top producers at his position. The irony here is that Williams wears No. 99 on the field and ranks 99th on this list. The next several spots will be revealed on Monday, with the top 10 scheduled to be revealed on Sunday, September 1 at 8:00 p.m. ET on NFL Network.
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seahawks DE Leonard Williams No. 99 on NFL Top 100 list
It is officially that time of year again! Each summer, the NFL unveils its Top 100 players list, highlighting the best of the best in the league from the previous season. Every team gets at least a handful of players, and the Seattle Seahawks are certainly no different. The list is revealed in segments, and in the first batch of players we see our first Seahawk: Defensive end Leonard Williams, coming in hot at No. 99 overall. This is Williams' third time appearing on the Top 100 list, having been previously ranked No. 84 in 2021 and No. 97 in 2022. Leonard "Big Cat" Williams was nothing short of a force of pure nature for the Seattle Seahawks in 2024. A game-changer in every sense of the word! In his first full season in the Pacific Northwest, Big cat started all 16 games he played and recorded 64 total tackles (16 of which were for a loss), defended three passes, snagged an interception for a 92-yard touchdown, and earned 11 sacks. Advertisement Williams' 11 sacks were 0.5 a sack a way from tying a career best, and were the most by any Seahawk defender since Frank Clark logged 13 during the 2018 campaign. If anything, No. 99 feels too low of a ranking for Seattle's No. 99, but his placement on the Top 100 list is more than warranted. It is great to see a Seahawk get some recognition, especially since players for this franchise are often overlooked by the media. This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Seahawks DE Leonard Williams is No. 99 on NFL Top 100 list
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Watch: Every sack from Seahawks DE Leonard Williams in 2024
Leonard Williams came in at No. 99 as the NFL released the first batch of their annual player-voted Top 100 List on Monday morning. He had a career year in 2024, reaching his second Pro Bowl and finishing 14th in NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year Voting. Here are all his sacks from his second season in Seattle, where you can see the mismatches he created to get to double-digit sacks for just the second time in his career. His 11 sacks were the most by a Seahawks defender since Frank Clark in 2018. Head Coach Mike Macdonald utilized Williams' massive frame and elite athleticism in a versatile role between the interior defensive line positions. The physical dominance that earned him the nickname 'Big Cat' was as present as ever in his age 30 season, especially highlighted by the stamina that allows him to stay low and wide while coming downhill in the narrow interior gaps. You can see him use these tools on tape to clean up two sacks against the New England Patriots in Week 2, and to chase down Kyler Murray to the outside in the Seahawks' Week 14 Win against the Arizona Cardinals. Advertisement The Seahawks restructured Williams' contract in February to open up cap space before free agency. He's under contract through 2026 and will look to continue his late-career consistency to have one more chance at a lucrative payday in the open market in 2027. This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Watch: Seahawks DE Leonard Williams 2024 Sack Reel
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Seahawks DL Leonard Williams, a Cardinals killer, is No. 99 in 'NFL Top 100'
The Arizona Cardinals will have a player announced as part of the "NFL Top 100" this week as they reveal players 91-100 throughout the week, but that player was not Nos. 99 or 100. Those players were revealed on Monday. However, one was a Cardinals killer. Advertisement Coming in at No. 99 is Seattle Seahawks defensive lineman Leonard Williams. Williams might have single-handedly derailed the Cardinals' 2024 season. The Cardinals were 6-4 and in first place in the NFC West in Week 12 coming off their Week 11 bye. Facing the Seahawks that weekend, Williams wrecked the game. He had 2.5 sacks, six tackles, three tackles for loss, four quarterback hits and a tipped pass. The Seahawks beat the Cardinals 16-6, starting a 2-5 stretch to end the season. In two games against the Cardinals, Williams had 11 tackles, 2.5 sacks, four tackles for loss, four QB hits and two tipped passes. Cardinals tight end Trey McBride was featured in the video that revealed Williams was No. 99. He said, "It's frustrating to see the impact that he makes in games. He obviously can wreck games." Advertisement Teammate Julian Love, a safety for the Seahawks, said Williams single-handledly won two games for Seattle and one was that game against the Cardinals in Week 12. The Cardinals will face him twice more in 2025. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts. This article originally appeared on Cards Wire: Cardinals killer is No. 99 in 'NFL Top 100'
