Julian Love brings versatility, savvy, playmaking to Seattle defense

Eric Williams

NFC West Writer

Julian Love says he prefers to play in the box, close to where the action is.

But the versatile safety can create plays all over the field, which is one reason the Seattle Seahawks nabbed the former New York Giant during the first few days of free agency, signing him to a two-year, $12 million deal.

Where Love winds up likely will depend on Jamal Adams‘ injury status and where Seahawks defensive coordinator Clint Hurtt believes the Notre Dame product will be most effective.

For now, Love is getting comfortable playing with fellow starting safety Quandre Diggs during offseason work, which closes out this week.

“I was a corner in college, so I have that as a background,” Love recently told reporters. “But I think just being down in the box, around the action [is where I’m most comfortable]. I’m a really good tackler. I think that’s my biggest asset as a player. Anywhere I can be close to the line of scrimmage, I’m excited for.

“But with that background and kind of playing all over, I’m comfortable in man-to-man situations, blitzing situations and whatever they have me doing.”

The 25-year-old had his best season as a pro last year, finishing with a career-high 124 combined tackles, with two interceptions and five pass breakups. (He left the Fighting Irish as the school’s all-time leader in pass breakups with 39.)

Love played a total of 1,006 defensive snaps last season. According to Pro Football Focus, he lined up on 494 plays at free safety, 271 plays in the box, 154 plays at slot corner, 50 as a defensive lineman and 37 as an outside corner.

“He can do so many different things,” Hurtt said. “He can cover man-to-man, great awareness in zones, he can blitz and is a good run fit guy. All the tricks of the trade that you have to have as a safety. He is multi-dimensional in what you can do with him. He’s been highly beneficial.”

Rams, Giants, Seahawks among NFC teams that will make big leaps

Love said he has made starts in the league as a corner, free safety, nickel and strong safety, and he feels comfortable wherever the Seahawks choose to put him.

“He’s got great sense, great awareness and presence,” Seattle coach Pete Carroll said. “He totally gets football. It makes sense to him. He’s an excellent communicator, a really gifted, smooth athlete with real quickness. And that real quickness comes from really great instincts. He looked great.

“I know that it’s been obvious to Quandre that he’s got a guy that really can command what’s going on. They share the duties, are working together and growing. He’s another guy who made a great first impression on us.”

The addition of Love will allow the Seahawks to use three safeties at the same time more often once Adams returns from a torn quad suffered last September. According to Next Gen Stats, the Seahawks used five defensive backs on 802 of the team’s 1,117 defensive snaps during the regular season in 2022.

However, in Seattle’s NFC wild-card playoff loss on the road to the San Francisco 49ers, the Seahawks played base personnel (four defensive backs) on nearly 60% of the defensive snaps, allowing all four San Francisco touchdowns and 9.1 yards per play in that personnel grouping.

The addition of Love, along with free-agent linebackers Bobby Wagner and Devin Bush Jr., will allow the Seahawks to have faster, better tacklers in space on the field while still rolling out a group that can consistently stop the run. The Seahawks finished No. 30 in run defense last season, allowing 150 yards per contest.

Love is an intelligent, instinctive player. He served as the defensive playcaller while with the Giants, so he can communicate and help get guys aligned pre-snap. His ability to play close to the line of scrimmage and as a deep safety gives Seattle more scheme versatility, allowing Love and Diggs to work interchangeably in the back end.

The Seahawks had one of the better defensive backfields in the NFL last season. Both rookie Tariq Woolen and Diggs made the Pro Bowl. Seattle held teams to 211.5 passing yards per game (No. 13 in the NFL) and finished with 14 interceptions on the year. The addition of Love — along with the healthy return of Adams and the selection of first-round cornerback Devon Witherspoon — should make Seattle even more dangerous in the back end.

“He knows what he’s doing,” Diggs said about Love. “I’m comfortable letting him make calls and things like that. It’s been fun. He can play. You guys saw him last year when we played [the Giants]. He was making plays all over the field.

“So I’m excited to get to know him more during the year and have a really good safety room.”

Eric D. Williams has reported on the NFL for more than a decade, covering the Los Angeles Rams for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Chargers for ESPN and the Seattle Seahawks for the Tacoma News Tribune. Follow him on Twitter at @eric_d_williams.

Julian Love photo courtesy of Seattle Seahawks.

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