Games between the Seattle Seahawks and the San Francisco 49ers always seem to be weird and double-sided.
In the same game in which layers of commentary and criticism surrounded the play of CB2, Josh Jobe, this year’s breakout corner, Nehemiah Pritchett pulled down another INT. Now, Jobe? The day after, it doesn’t sound like Jobe’s job is in jeopardy. But the gap in good will is interesting, in that it illuminates the system of player maturation that’s in place for the defending world champion Seahawks.
Pritchett has been balling, and everybody has seen it. He’s looked dominant at times.
Number 28 intercepted Brock Purdy, an early MVP candidate in a big game. He also forced a fumble on punt coverage.
Pritchett is the guy who outlasted his draft classmate and more heralded (by some, including the NFL’s website) Auburn teammate, D.J. James a couple of years ago.
In his young career, he made some mistakes that I can remember (posted a 147.2 passer rating in his one start in 2024), early on… but he also made a few plays.
Mike Macdonald when discussing the competition for cornerback roles back in July: “It’s not something where you can just walk in and just know what to do immediately,” Macdonald said of the rookies. “It takes a lot of work, guys are putting in extra work, great attitudes. They’re still rookies. They’re still probably not playing at the speed that we’re going to expect come training camp time, but that’s not for a lack of trying. They’ve got to trust that got to go through, not around on this thing. Just keep going through the process, it’ll clear up… It’ll clear up for them, and I expect them to have great training camps and compete for a large role.”
Now that Pritchett won the role, Coach Mike had this to say: “He competed and won it. It’s a daily input. Also, execution. Your part fits in a hole in the defense, and Nehemiah has improved in that. He has covered well and is aggressive when he needs to, and he’s done a great job in press. He definitely has earned it.”
Macdonald said after Sunday’s divisional loss that Pritchett, “stuck to the process and just kept making plays.”
There certainly is a process.
This regime really commits to seeking players with experience, and they have even prioritized that, at times, over draft stock. There are exceptions: high draft picks like Byron Murphy II and Jadarian Price come to mind… but even then, both were surrounded by commentary and questions about why they were only receiving limited snaps.
It’s worked out, as Seattle has gotten a ton of production from veterans, i.e. DeMarcus Lawrence, Julian Love, Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, Uchenna Nwosu, Eric Saubert, Cooper Kupp, Emanuel Wilson and Sam Darnold, just to name a few. This stretches back to Coach Macdonald’s time in Baltimore as well (think Roquon Smith, Jadeveon Clowney and Kyle Van Noy).
Pritchett played behind vets such as Tre Brown and Artie Burns (among others) in his rookie season and didn’t look super confident in his limited playing time. He played mostly special teams in his sophomore year, last year.
It’s been shown that the Hawks let guys simmer and learn, then get chances down the road, when they truly know the system well and can prove that they know where to be and when. Think of Jalen Sundell, Drake Thomas, Ty Okada, Nehemiah Pritchett, Christian Haynes, George Holani, A.J. Barner and Josh Jobe as guys who have come up through the systems to seize their shot.
But also, Coach Mike isn’t afraid to fade a role if the player doesn’t necessarily meet expectations. Remember Tyrel Dodson and Jerome Baker? Riq Woolen? Some Olu Oluwatimi? Tyrice Knight, to some extent? Every situation is different, but there are honest appraisals.
Nehemiah Pritchett and D.J. James were drafted in the fifth and sixth rounds of the NFL draft (respectively), but only one came out of the fire. That gives you hope for a prospect like Julian Neal, taken in the third round, and who could conceivably have a shorter path to prominence because of his draft pedigree.
It’s also slightly reminiscent of Seattle taking two late-round guys in the same draft class, in Michael Dansby and Andre Fuller (ready squad). Will any of the three rookies make it out of future fires to fight for this franchise and play on defense?
Neal is excited for his opportunity, if nothing else:
And let’s remember that it’s not just about playing on defense. Pritchett became a mainstay on special teams, and in that way became a trusted player that got his shot on defense. He still plays there.
After the Week 1 win in the PNW, in which this Pritchett guy that they nicknamed “Mighty” came up with his first pick, here’s defensive coordinator Aden Durde on what he thought of Nehemiah’s big game: “I really thought Nehemiah played confident. He challenged. He was getting some really good players. He didn’t just stand up; he went for it. He had a great third down stop and an interception. For the whole defense, it was a proud moment to see Nehemiah, kind of graduate from being the young player he was… go to be a gunner, and he’s excelling when he comes on the field. He’s done a great job.”
There it is, there’s the pathway. Will it be the same path for Neal? J-Neal has been playing on special teams early in the year as well. He was called for holding on a punt against the Cardinals and did step in for a couple of snaps at the end of that blowout game. Maybe his journey will be shorter in length, due to being a third-rounder (vs. Pritchett coming to Seattle in the fifth)!
Before his injury, Neal spoke with Seattle Sports, on his situation: “I don’t want anything to be given to me, and I’m not entitled to anything. So, I understand what’s going on. I’m just trying to make my stance on special teams right now and earn my way on the field–and whatever happens, just be ready.”
Sounds like he does understand. He understands that he’ll have to forge a path to playing time, whenever he comes back. That’s the Seahawk way.
If Seattle hopes to bottle up Mike Evans in a rematch down the road, the size of Neal could be an enticing foil. But this goes well beyond that. This is a long-term project, that an embedded coaching staff can approach with patience. They’ve proven it.
