Cal Sports Report

Ex-Cal Lineman Jake Curhan Made His Second NFL Start on Tuesday

He's the second recent undrafted free-agent offensive lineman from Cal to start pro games

Jake Curtis

Ex-Cal Lineman Jake Curhan Made His Second NFL Start on Tuesday
Ex-Cal Lineman Jake Curhan Made His Second NFL Start on Tuesday /

Two years ago it was Patrick Mekari; this year it’s Jake Curhan.

Both were undrafted free-agent offensive linemen out of Cal, and both have started NFL games in the meantime. And versatility was the key for both.

Mekari was a tackle at Cal, but he became a starter for the Baltimore Ravens at center and guard in his first two NFL seasons, 2019 and 2020. He did not play tackle as a pro until this season, but he has started nine games at tackle in 2021. He has missed the past two weeks with a hand injury.

Meanwhile, Curhan made his first two NFL starts the past two weeks.

Passed over in the 2021 NFL draft because of a heart condition that Curhan dismissed as insignificant, he was the only undrafted free agent to make the Seahawks’ regular season roster this year. Seattle envisioned him as a guard, even though he had played tackle at Cal. In fact, Curhan played 60 snaps at guard in the Dec. 5 game against San Francisco.

But with starting tackle Brandon Shell out for the Dec. 12 game against the Texans, Curhan played right tackle in his first NFL start in Baltimore’s 33-13 victory .

He drew praise from Seattle head coach Pete Carroll.

“A move back to tackle helped him play better. Jake has been really impressive throughout because he really kind of gets the game. He’s just a good, savvy football player,” Carroll said, according to Heavy Sports.

Carroll also said this:

And Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times noted this about Curhan’s performance against Houston:

With Shell placed on the COVID list on Sunday, Curhan made his second start at tackle against the Rams on Tuesday.

He was on the field for all 57 of Seattle’s offensive plays as well as two special-teams snaps. Curhan did allow two pressures on Russell Wilson in that game, but Wilson’s habit of holding the ball a long time contributed to that.

Mookie Alexander of the SB Nation’s Seahawks website named the Seahawks’ offensive line as one of the “winners” of Seattle’s 20-10 loss to the Rams.

Really other than Damien Lewis, whom aside from the two very debatable holding penalties just did not play well in general. All three sacks Russell Wilson took were coverage sacks and I don’t think Wilson was under siege nearly as much as expected or feared. I highlight Gabe Jackson and Jake Curhan for their overall work but especially in the run game, where their side seemed to open up the most successful rushes of the night. Considering the opposition, I thought they acquitted themselves well.

DeeJay Dallas scored the touchdown on this play, but watch right tackle Jake Curhan (No. 74) help clear the way:

If Shell is not cleared to play in Sunday's game against the Bengals, Curhan is expected to make his third pro start.

Pro Football Focus gives Curhan’s an overall grade of 43.5 for the season, which is not very good, so it remains to be seen whether Curhan will see much playing time when Shell returns. But his versatility is likely to earn him some playing time this year and in the future.

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Cover photo of Jake Curhan by Joe Nicholson, USA TODAY Sports

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Jake Curtis
JAKE CURTIS

Jake Curtis worked in the San Francisco Chronicle sports department for 27 years, covering virtually every sport, including numerous Final Fours, several college football national championship games, an NBA Finals, world championship boxing matches and a World Cup. He was a Cal beat writer for many of those years, and won awards for his feature stories.

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