Who Will Win Seattle Seahawks Starting Right Guard Job?

Standing out as the most intriguing competition on the Seahawks roster, Anthony Bradford will look to fend off Christian Haynes and McClendon Curtis at right guard.

Dec 10, 2023; Santa Clara, California, USA; Seattle Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75) blocks against San Francisco 49ers linebacker Fred Warner (right) during the first quarter at Levi's Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Retooling their offensive line this offseason, the Seattle Seahawks will open the 2024 season with at least three new starters in the trenches, including a yet-to-be-determined starter at right guard.

Rolling towards training camp later this month with incumbent Anthony Bradford, rookie Christian Haynes, and second-year blocker McClendon Curtis ready to compete for a spot up front, who has the edge to take over as Seattle's new starter at right guard in Ryan Grubb's offense?

Stating the cases for Bradford, Haynes, and Curtis to win the job with a projection for who will be starting for the Seahawks against the Broncos on September 8:

Case For Anthony Bradford

While it may be hard to believe, aside from veteran Laken Tomlinson, Bradford will roll into his second season as Seattle's second-most experienced guard on the roster in terms of starts and snaps. After being drafted in the fourth round out of LSU, an early injury to Phil Haynes vaulted him into the starting lineup and he wound up starting 10 games in his rookie season, giving him a strong foundation for the future despite expected year one struggles, particularly in the pass protection department where he yielded 28 pressures last year.

If the Seahawks want to get their run game back on track, Bradford may be the best bet in this three-way competition. At 6-5, 332 pounds, he's a powerful blocker capable of knocking defenders off the line of scrimmage and creating early push off the snap, something the team has lacked at the position for quite some time. Last season, he earned at least an 84.0 run blocking grade in three starts from Pro Football Focus, demonstrating his promise. He's also an underrated athlete for his size, which could translate to rapid improvements in pass protection with a new coach in Huff able to sharpen up his fundamentals footwork and hand placement-wise.

Case For Christian Haynes

Rookies always face a steep learning curve jumping to the NFL, but if there's a player who has been set up for quick success, Haynes joins the Seahawks with an incredibly impressive resume. A two-time All-American at UConn, even while playing for a program that slogged to a three-win season in 2023, he played outstanding football against top competition, posting outstanding efforts against the likes of Michigan, Tennessee, and North Carolina State during that span. He capped off his college career with a fantastic week in Mobile at the Senior Bowl, showcasing his power as a run blocker and smooth feet in pass protection.

When camp opens, Haynes will surely face some challenges blocking against Leonard Williams, Jarran Reed, and the rest of Seattle's talented defensive line once the pads come on. But at 6-2, 318 pounds, he packs plenty of punch with violent hands and a thick lower body for drive blocking while also having plus-athletic traits for zone concepts as well as mirroring in pass protection. If he's able to consistently win with his hands at the point of attack during camp, especially in the passing game, he could have the inside track to starting right away.

Case For McClendon Curtis

On paper, Curtis doesn't have the accolades or draft pedigree Bradford and Haynes bring to the table. However, he's as intriguing as any of the three players for a number of reasons. Like Haynes, he showed up in Mobile two years ago with questions about level of competition coming from Chattanooga and emphatically silenced critics with a strong week against the best of the best. Unlike his competitors, he played at a high level at multiple positions, earning All-So Con honors as both a tackle and a guard during his time with the Mocs.

Built with a tackle frame at 6-6, 325 pounds, Curtis has above average lateral quickness from his days blocking against edge rushers, which should serve him well playing inside against NFL interior defensive linemen. In addition, he has incredibly long 35-inch arms, which allow him to get his hands onto defender's frames quickly and strike with a powerful thump. Even being a former undrafted signee, there doesn't look to be much separation from a physical tools and talent standpoint between him and Bradford and Haynes, making him a legitimate contender to win the job.

Predicted Winner: Haynes

Haynes didn't see any action with the first-team offense during OTAs and minicamp, so some may believe he faces an uphill climb to surpass Bradford or even Curtis on the depth chart. But only two years ago, tackle Abraham Lucas spent the entirety of the offseason program behind Jake Curhan, and by the second week of training camp, he already had jumped over his veteran teammate and wound up starting in Week 1. Of course, Curhan was an undrafted free agent signing coming into the NFL and Bradford has more upside as a former fourth-round pick, so the situations aren't completely identical.

Still, Haynes has a number of significant advantages in his corner heading towards training camp, starting with his pass blocking prowess after giving up just one sack over his final two seasons at UConn. Bradford struggled mightily at times in pass protection last season and received a dismal 38.9 grade from PFF. This spring, he missed most of OTAs and minicamp with an ankle sprain, creating questions about how much better he will be in his second season. As for Curtis, he didn't play any regular season snaps on offense as a rookie, making him just as inexperienced in that regard as his rookie counterpart.

This competition has a good chance to last deep into training camp and the preseason with all three players capable of earning a starting job if all the dominos fall in their favor. But Haynes offers the best all-around skill set compared to his peers and after being selected in the third round of April's draft, it would be a bit of a disappointment if he wasn't able to step right in and beat out Bradford and Curtis for an immediate spot on the Seahawks offensive line.