Seahawks OL Training Camp Preview: Bold Predictions, Projected Depth Chart
RENTON, Wash. - Journeying into a new era without quarterback Russell Wilson last spring, the Seattle Seahawks had a plethora of question marks with an inevitable rebuild in front of them, including figuring out who would protect his replacement Geno Smith.
Much like Smith himself, a new-look offensive line featuring three new starters didn't receive much respect from the experts, including being ranked dead-last by Pro Football Focus in their preseason rankings. Without a "single quality starter this unit can rely on," expectations had crashed to the basement for a group that had long been a maligned and heavily scrutinized one for Seattle under coach Pete Carroll.
But similar to Smith, albeit to a lesser extent than the eventual Comeback Player of the Year, the Seahawks' buffet bashers defied those rock bottom expectations. Even with two rookie tackles in Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas starting together in Week 1, the unit performed admirably, finishing a respectable 18th in run blocking and 20th in pass protection grades from PFF and eighth in ESPN's pass block win rate.
Still outside of the top half of the NFL by PFF's grading and finishing 24th in ESPN's run block win rate metric, Seattle's front line still has a long ways to go to climb into the NFL's upper echelon. But after outperforming projections a year ago, there's no shortage of reasons for optimism in the trenches offensively, starting with Cross and Lucas' respective returns for their sophomore seasons.
"They won’t all grow the same, they won’t all take the same out of this experience," Carroll said while reflecting on Cross and Lucas' rookie seasons back in January. "But we are going to try and maximize this as much as possible to help them really be a whole jump ahead of where they were.”
Coming from pass-heavy Air Raid offenses at Mississippi State and Washington State respectively, Cross and Lucas were expected to deal with significant growing pains acclimating to a pro-style west coast offense where they would be asked to run block more frequently and work out of a three-point stance. At times, those concerns did show up in spurts, particularly in the second half when Seattle's ground game slowed to a halt while losing five out of six games in November and December.
But while Cross and Lucas each certainly endured typical first year lumps, including surrendering a combined 16 sacks in pass protection, they served as catalysts for a better-than-anticipated Seahawks offensive line starting 16 regular season games together. They also rebounded from second half slumps to finish on a strong note, with Lucas giving up two pressures total in his final two games and Cross giving up two or fewer pressures in three of his final four games.
Now with another offseason under their belts and a clear idea of what it takes to play at a high level in the NFL after being thrown into the fire as rookies, Cross and Lucas look poised to make significant leaps forward in 2023. Under the guidance of line coach Andy Dickerson, with improved strength and fundamentals, both should be much better equipped to handle the rigors of run blocking and dealing with talented NFL pass rushers off the edge.
Though Cross and Lucas' progression will be vital to Seattle's chances of fielding an improved offensive line in front of Smith and running backs Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, personnel changes in the interior also have sparked excitement about the group's upside short and long-term, starting at the center position.
Set to name a different starter for the third straight year at the pivot position following the retirement of Austin Blythe, the Seahawks signed former Lions starter Evan Brown to a one-year contract in free agency and didn't stop there. Double dipping, they brought in viable competition in ex-Michigan standout Olu Oluwatimi, selecting the Rimington Award and Outland Trophy winner in the fifth round of April's draft.
When called upon to fill in for Pro Bowl center Frank Ragnow over the past two seasons, Brown has been terrific as an injury replacement, including allowing only one sack and eight pressures in 12 starts in 2021. However, Oluwatimi comes into the league with an impressive resume for a day three draft choice, as he played over 3,500 snaps at Virginia and Michigan and has ample experience executing line calls in the run and pass game in both an Air Raid and pro style system.
Eager to see the race to replace Blythe unfold, Carroll envisions Oluwatimi being a worthy challenger for Brown in a battle between two players of contrasting styles.
"I don't think there's any doubt that he's going to come in and battle now. He's legit," Carroll said of Oluwatimi after the draft. "He's played all the schemes that we have seen that we do, the blocking principles, and the expectations of the styles of play. Not all the schools in college football are like that. Michigan separates themself in that regard. It gives us a really good preparation spot for us and so we can see guys as we like to see them. We have kind of found our way to their program, so I think it's a good compliment."
As for the guard spots, Damien Lewis will return as the elder statesmen of Seattle's offensive line with three years of starting experience under his belt. Entering a critical contract year, he will look to build off of arguably his best season as a pro, as the former third-round pick out of LSU earned the highest run blocking grade from PFF for the entire offensive line (66.7), finished fourth among guards in ESPN's run block win rate, and only allowed 19 pressures in pass protection.
Across from him, the Seahawks will break in another new starter after releasing veteran Gabe Jackson in March, though a familiar face in Phil Haynes returns as the favorite to succeed his former teammate after making a positive impression in a platoon role last year. The team went 3-0 in games that he started last year, averaging nearly 120 rushing yards per game in those contests, and the 27-year old will have an inside track to win the job in his third year working with Dickerson.
Like Brown, however, Haynes won't have the right guard spot handed to him on a silver platter, as Seattle invested a fourth-round pick in athletic, mauling blocker Anthony Bradford to push him right away. Heralding from LSU, the Muskegon, Michigan native missed mandatory minicamp after a car accident in June, but he should be ready to roll when camp opens.
With four promising players under 27 years of age set to compete for two starting openings, the Seahawks are banking on a youth movement paying dividends up front for a second straight year. Such a strategy doesn't come without risk, especially if one or both rookies wind up earning starting jobs in camp and struggle out of the gate, which could slow down a potential top-five offensive attack led by Smith.
With that said, there's no question Seattle has more upside at center and right guard than it has had for several years with Lewis potentially set to cash in on a lucrative extension and a quartet of players in Brown, Oluwatimi, Haynes, and Bradford who could all emerge as long-term starters for the franchise. Time will tell how things shake out in coming weeks, but finding an upgrade at one or both spots would be a major development for an ascending team with championship aspirations.
Projected Depth Chart
Competition to Watch
Brown vs. Oluwatimi: Bouncing around with multiple teams on the practice squad in his first couple NFL seasons, Brown eventually caught his break when Ragnow went down in 2021, presenting him the opportunity to prove himself as a viable NFL center. In 13 starts at the pivot position over the past two years in Detroit, he's demonstrated above-average pop in the run blocking department and the capability to create push off the line of scrimmage. In pass protection, he mirrors well, using his feet and hands in sync to keep rushers from slipping past him.
While those qualities could make Brown the early favorite in this battle, Oluwatimi offers a rare commanding presence for a rookie and he's not exactly a slouch in pass protection either. In his lone season with the Wolverines, he helped spearhead one of the nation's top rushing attacks as lead communicator in the middle and didn't give up a single sack in 14 games, exhibiting proficiency in all aspects. If he performs well as a zone blocker in the run game and his pass pro excellence translates to the league, he has an excellent chance to be the next fifth-round rookie starter for the Seahawks.
Wild Card
Bradford: Unlike Oluwatimi, Bradford doesn't have much college experience to hang his helmet on coming into the NFL. He only started one year for the Tigers and logged fewer than 300 total offensive snaps in his first two college seasons, creating questions about his pro readiness.
But Bradford's film and production shouldn't be discounted either. In his lone year as a starter in the rugged SEC, he only allowed 12 total quarterback pressures and three of those came against Tennessee when he was forced to make an emergency start at tackle. A physical brute in the run game, he received a stellar 70.0 overall grade from PFF and his athletic profile suggests he should be effective both in gap and zone schemes at the next level with proper development.
With Haynes having just five career starts under his belt, there isn't much of a playing time gap separating the two players, which gives Bradford a fighting chance to make things interesting at right guard next month if he catches on quickly.
Bold Predictions
1. On a one-year audition, Haynes will start all 17 regular season games for the Seahawks at right guard.
At one point, the Seahawks seemed bullish on Haynes as a long-term answer at guard, but injuries derailed his first two seasons, limiting him to just one offensive snap and leading to the team's decision to trade for Jackson in 2021. Two years later, the team has finally gotten a chance to see what he can do with an extended workload and he played well enough in a rotational role last season to warrant re-signing him. In his third year working with Dickerson, with continuity remaining important up front, it would be a mild surprise if he isn't starting in Week 1 and as long as he stays healthy, he should be a strong bet to fend off Bradford, at least for this season.
2. A new-look interior offensive line will help cut Smith's sack total by seven compared to the 2022 season.
If there's a clear area where the Seahawks should be best suited to make a jump collectively as a group along the offensive line, pass protection stands out. Lucas and Cross both cut their teeth in pass-oriented offenses, and yet, they allowed nearly 80 pressures as rookies. Given their backgrounds, it would be a significant letdown if they don't make substantial improvements cutting down on sacks and pressures with a year of experience under their belts. In the interior, a more athletic Haynes paired with Lewis and either Brown or Oluwatimi also projects to be an improvement in the pass protection department, which should show up on the stat sheet.
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