Seahawks GM John Schneider explains what he meant with infamous guard comments

Seattle's long-time general manager finds a more-polite way to dunk on NFL guards.

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - FEBRUARY 28: General manager John Schneider of the Seattle Seahawks speaks to the media during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center on February 28, 2023 in Indianapolis, Indiana. / (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Offensive linemen have a tough gig in the NFL. The average fan only tends to notice them if they're doing something wrong, either racking up holding flags or getting blown past every other snap by a more-athletic pass rusher. When they're doing their jobs right, either a quarterback or a runningback tends to get all the credit. The Philadelphia Eagles just emphatically restated the lesson of how critical a good offensive line is. Meanwhile, the Seattle Seahawks organization has learned the hard way that failing to invest and develop in that unit can hold a really low ceiling over your offense.

Since taking over as Seattle's general manager John Schneider has hit a tackle or two and fielded at least a decent center and a half, but he's had almost no success at all in finding or drafting guards. Schneider's infamous comments about guards being "overdrafted and overpaid" seemed to suggest that he doesn't see the position as very important to competing in the modern NFL.

Schneider insists that's not the case, though. In his most-recent appearance on Seattle Sports radio this week, Schneider further clarified those comments about guards.

John Schneider clarifies guard comments

"I guess, it’s not a level of importance – it’s extremely important, it’s highly valued,” Schneider said Thursday. “But we still to this day, because of the dearth of talent at the position, will overpay at that position and will over-draft at that position... We’ve been guilty of it, and we probably will be guilty of it in the future as well... It’s just based on a level of talent. It’s a position that everybody is looking for, right?"

Sounds like you can toss out all those mock drafts that have the Seahawks using their first-round draft pick on a guard. It would certainly be a departure for a front office that swung and missed so bad on Germain Ifedi that they may never even try to pick a guard in Round 1 again.

That doesn't make their need any less urgent, though. For the last three years Geno Smith has been getting consistently pressured far too often up the middle, and it's taken a real toll on just how high his ceiling can go.

Even though he's one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL right now at avoiding pressure, there's simply too much of it - and it's hard to envision anybody doing a whole lot better at i than Smith - certainly none of the quarterbacks they can get in this year's free agent crop or in the draft, anyway.

INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 05: Sataoa Laumea #63 of the Seattle Seahawks during warm up before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium on January 05, 2025 in Inglewood, California. / (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

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