Seahawks Rookie RT Michael Jerrell 'Played Really Hard' in First NFL Start

Rookie sixth-round offensive tackle Michael Jerrell made his first NFL start on Sunday in a Seattle Seahawks victory. He made the most of the opportunity.

Aug 17, 2024; Nashville, Tennessee, USA; Tennessee Titans safety Mike Brown (44) and Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Michael Jerrell (65) leaves the field after the game at Nissan Stadium. / Casey Gower-Imagn Images

An NFL team being down to its fourth-string offensive tackle is far from preferred. But for the Seattle Seahawks, it has presented an advanced look at a rookie who may have an exceptionally high ceiling.

Sixth-round rookie Michael Jerrell, who played his entire college career at NCAA Division II University of Findlay, made his first professional start in Seattle’s 34-14 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. Jerrell filled in for third-string right tackle Stone Forsythe, who is sidelined with a hand injury.

“The guy played hard,” Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald said of Jerrell on Monday. “He played really hard, there were just a couple of plays where he lost the reps and that’s going to happen. But [Jerrell] played hard, the game wasn’t too big for him. I am just really pleased with his effort frankly and his finish on a per-play basis.”

Even though Jerrell surrendered a team-high four pressures, per Pro Football Focus, those statistics remain subjective. Overall, Jerrell’s highlights far outweighed the mistakes — including paving a massive lane alongside third-round rookie Christian Haynes to spring Kenneth Walker III for a 20-yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

Jerrell is the Seahawks’ third starting right tackle in seven games this season. When healthy, 2022 third-round pick Abraham Lucas is the starter, but he only played in six games last season and began this season on the physically unable to perform list after undergoing knee surgery. Macdonald said Lucas may return to practice this week, but he’s not slated to return to game action for multiple weeks.

George Fant, who was signed this offseason to backup Lucas, also suffered a knee injury in Week 1 and was placed on injured reserve on Sept. 21. Forsythe filled in as the starter for the ensuing five games. Now it’s Jerrell’s turn.

“I think he has earned the opportunity — if it shakes out at right tackle, we have some moving parts going on there right now — but if he was the guy again this week, we would be really confident in him,” Macdonald added.

As a player who never faced top-end collegiate competition, the skepticism about Jerrell’s ability to play in the NFL was never based on his measurables (6-5, 294 pounds) or whether he looked the part. It was about how quickly he could adjust to the talent level of the players he would be facing.

“He belongs, you know, whether you’re D2, D3 or undrafted, it doesn’t matter,” Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith said after Sunday’s win. “The way that he’s working, prepared and all the things that he’s shown throughout camp … he’s been doing great things in practice. So, he was prepared for this moment. We just continue to breathe life into him. Let him know, ‘Hey, you’re ready for this. You’re going to go out there and you’re going to play excellent.’”

Seattle’s future at right tackle is murky. Lucas has to first get back on the field and stay healthy to inspire any confidence he will be the long-term option there. The more viable options the Seahawks have at that spot the better. Any encouraging performances from the backups are a victory for the team.

Oct 20, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Seattle Seahawks place kicker Jason Myers (5) reacts after a field goal against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

The Seahawks’ more balanced offensive approach versus Atlanta also helped the offensive line fare better. Smith only attempted 28 passes (32 total dropbacks) after averaging 41 attempts over the first six games. Seattle’s running backs were handed the ball 22 times. The season trend had seen the Seahawks rush on just over 31 percent of their offensive snaps before Week 7.

With the Falcons not selling out on the pass rush every play, Macdonald was happy with how the offensive line played against Atlanta.

“I thought we took a step up front, we’re always going to be chasing and dominating the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball,” Macdonald said. “When we watch the tape there are going to be a lot of great things we did and there will be some missing plays and some opportunities where we felt like we could have finished the play better. Some of our double teams, some of our run schemes felt like we left a little bit on the table.”

Jerrell, especially, put quality plays in the run game on tape. If he is called upon again in Week 8 versus the Buffalo Bills, there is reason for optimism the sixth-round pick will only continue to improve. He’s proven he belongs, now Jerrell just has to discover how good he can be.

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