Seattle Seahawks Analysis: How Connor Williams Could Be Game-Changing Addition

In the past five seasons, the Seahawks have had five different starters at center, but Connor Williams has the talent to end that game of musical chairs.

Miami Dolphins running back Chase Edmonds (2) celebrates scoring a touchdown with teammates lineman Connor Williams, center, and Robert Hunt, left, during the fourth quarter of an NFL game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Sept. 25, 2022. / JIM RASSOL/THE PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK

During the height of the Seattle Seahawks dominance in the early 2010s, the renowned "Legion of Boom" secondary headlined by safeties Earl Thomas and Kam Chancellor received the majority of the accolades for the team's success reaching back-to-back Super Bowls.

But while a star-studded secondary fueled Seattle's deep playoff runs as the centerpiece of a historically great defense, the team also had quality offensive line play during those years, helping protect quarterback Russell Wilson and open up running lanes for Marshawn Lynch. At the center - literally and figuratively - of that group in the trenches, Max Unger garnered All-Pro honors in 2012 and made consecutive Pro Bowls, making him the only pivot man in franchise history to achieve both feats.

Other factors such as injuries contributed to the Seahawks decline after a loss to the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX, but looking back nearly a decade later, the decision to trade Unger to the Saints as part of a package for tight end Jimmy Graham prior to the 2015 season may have been the decision that haunted general manager John Schneider the most. Since that deal, the team has struggled to field even average offensive lines, and center has been a revolving door of mediocrity at best.

In the aftermath of Unger's departure, Seattle has rolled out six different Week 1 starters at center in the past nine seasons, with Justin Britt providing the only continuity as a starter from 2016 to 2018. In the past three years alone, Ethan Pocic, Austin Blythe, and Evan Brown have taken their turns as starters, with none of them performing like a top-20 center. They also lit money on fire by guaranteeing $4.5 million to B.J. Finney in 2020, only for him to play zero offensive snaps with the organization.

Now approaching a decade since Unger last suited up for the Seahawks, Schneider may finally have found a potential long-term starter at an important position on Tuesday, inking veteran Connor Williams to a one-year deal that could pay major dividends for a young offensive line.

Coming off a torn ACL suffered in December, Williams will have to first prove he's fully recovered from a significant knee injury, so he doesn't come to Seattle without questions. Durability has been a concern for him in six NFL seasons, as he tore his ACL during his second season in Dallas in 2019 and missed time with a groin injury last year before suffering his latest knee injury.

But if Williams is healthy - and the fact he passed his physical on a free agent with the Seahawks last month suggests he's on the right track in that regard - there's no question he's the best center the team has brought in since Unger. And in reality, it's not even close, which not only immediately raises the floor for the current offensive line, but also moves the ceiling up substantially.

In terms of athleticism, Williams posted one of the best Relative Athletic Scores for an offensive line prospect in the past 10 years, earning a 9.15 score. He ran the 40-yard dash in 5.05 seconds with an impressive 1.72 10-yard split, posted a 34-inch vertical jump, and ran the short shuttle in 4.63 seconds, turning in a fantastic workout at the combine in Indianapolis in 2018.

Those traits show up on Williams' film, especially at the center position, where he found a home when the Dolphins moved him from guard after he signed with the team in 2022. He's one of the best centers in the sport at climbing to the second level and reaching linebackers and safeties on run plays and screens alike, and his elite movement skills also allow him to effectively execute blocks on zone concepts and do damage as a highly-effective puller on counters and sweeps.

Per Pro Football Focus, Williams earned a 90.5 run blocking grade last season, which ranked second behind only Lions star tackle Penei Sewell among qualified offensive linemen and first among centers. He also graded out as the seventh-best run blocking offensive lineman (85.1) in 2022, playing a crucial role in creating room to operate for Raheem Mostert and De'Von Achane in Mike McDaniel's high-octane offense the past two seasons.

Considering Seattle ranked a dreadful 28th in rushing a year ago, nobody may be happier about the arrival of Williams than running backs Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet, who will welcome an athletic center who can put defenders on the turf in front of them.

But where Williams has the chance to make the greatest impact for the Seahawks lies in the passing game, where Geno Smith has been under immense pressure for much of the past two seasons.

Previously playing tackle at Texas, Williams' previous experience blocking off the edge has been a major advantage for him inside working against athletic interior pass rushers. Over the past two seasons, per PFF charting, he has allowed just 21 pressures and four sacks on north of 900 pass blocking reps, posting impressive pass blocking efficiency rates of 98.6 and 98.7 in 2022 and 2023 respectively. He ranked in the top seven among centers in that category both seasons.

In comparison, Brown finished 23rd in pass blocking efficiency rate last season (97.4), Blythe finished 20th (98.0) in 2022, and Pocic finished 35th (97.1) in 2021. Based on those metrics alone, Williams presents a massive upgrade when it comes to keeping Smith clean from interior pressure.

Ultimately, Williams' health will dictate how much he moves the needle for Seattle's offensive line. With this being his second torn ACL, it's possible he won't quite regain his previous form where he looked like an All-Pro candidate, at least in the short term. Knee injuries can take more than 12 months to fully bounce back from, which explains the decision to sign him to only one year in a bit of a wait-and-see approach.

But even if Williams isn't quite at the level he played at the past two years, given the borderline inept play the Seahawks have had at the center position for what seems like an eternity, even if he's only 75 percent of his previous self, he will be a major upgrade for a line that could have as many as three players starting with two or fewer years of experience under their belts, including left tackle Charles Cross.

This isn't to say that Olu Oluwatimi or Nick Harris, who have been competing for first-team reps so far in training camp, couldn't have been better than their successors. But clearly, Seattle wasn't pleased with how that competition had gone so far and saw a chance to instantly bolster the position.

And, in the best case scenario, if Williams doesn't miss a beat and hits the ground running playing at his best, the Seahawks could have their first All-Pro and/or Pro Bowler at center since Unger snapped to Wilson all those years ago. Understanding the importance of position after neglecting it for far too long with below-average talent on cheap contracts, if that happens, Schneider better be ready to open up the checkbook for a midseason extension.