Leonard Williams still NFL's best run-stopping DT? On rate basis, yes

Is Seattle Seahawks defensive tackle Leonard Williams still the NFL’s best interior run stopper? That’s a subjective question, but if you believe it when watching the tape, you should trust what your eyes are telling you. There’s data to at least make the argument. Football data scientist Tej Seth uses a stat called Defensive Impact Per Rush Attempt (DIPRA), which aims to measure overall impact against the run through five weeks of the 2026 regular season. He posted the leaderboard on Wednesday, crediting Sumer Sports. Take a look, and let’s discuss:Top DT's in Defensive Impact Per Rush Attempt (DIPRA) this season:1. Leonard Williams, +0.562. Davon Hamilton, +0.513. Quinnen Williams, +0.494. Brandon Dorlus, +0.475. Dexter Lawrence, +0.476. Gervon Dexter, +0.477. Mason Graham, +0.458. Jeffery Simmons, +0.439. Teair…— Tej Seth (@tejfbanalytics) October 14, 2026There’s no publicly available information on how this stat is calculated, but it’s an innovative idea that could help us understand defensive line play better in the future. Crediting defensive tackles for individual “impact” in disrupting the run game offers a data-based way to measure that. Observers often just know that the Seahawks have a good run defense in which Williams plays a large role.If you watch the film, you’ll understand why Williams’ impact definitely can’t be built on tackles. Most of the time, he’s taking on double teams and moving offensive linemen to disrupt the run, but there’s no stat for that yet. Maybe this could fill that void. If this stat isn’t based around tackles — which it probably isn’t — DIPRA is likely Expected Points Added (EPA)-based. Measuring the Seahawks’ effectiveness on a per-play basis with and without Williams might be a little noisy, but it gives us context.While young star defensive tackle Byron Murphy II has been the hot name this week because of his pass-rushing success against the San Francisco 49ers, it appears the man they call “Big Cat” is still as good as any against the run. They’ll both need to make the day easy for the linebacking corps, as two of Seattle’s linebackers — Drake Thomas and Chazz Surratt — will miss Thursday’s game against the Denver Broncos with injuries.Follow seahawkswire.usatoday.com and @TheSeahawksWire on X for human analysis of all things Seahawks.This article originally appeared on Seahawks Wire: Leonard Williams still NFL's best run-stopping DT? On rate basis, yes