Seahawks preview: Can much-maligned O-line take step forward?

Sep 1, 2024, 12:13 PM | Updated: Sep 7, 2024, 4:29 pm

Seattle Seahawks Charles Cross New York Jets 2023...

Seattle Seahawks left tackle Charles Cross in action during a 2022 game. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Seattle Sports

Every day between now and the Sept. 8 season opener, we at Seattle Sports are previewing each of the Seattle Seahawks’ 11 position groups. Today, we take a look at the offensive line.

What insider Mark Schlereth sees in Seattle Seahawks, Mike Macdonald

Links to our other position group previews will be included here as they are posted: Quarterback, running back, wide receiver, tight end, defensive line, outside linebacker, inside linebacker, cornerback, safety and special teams.

Roster breakdown

Projected starters: LT Charles Cross, LG Laken Tomlinson, C Connor Williams, RG Anthony Bradford, RT George Fant

Projected backups: G Christian Haynes, C Olu Oluwatimi, T Stone Forsythe, G Sataoa Laumea, T Michael Jerrell, C Jalen Sundell

PUP list: RT Abraham Lucas

Offseason summary

Who’s out: Starting center Evan Brown, starting left guard Damien Lewis and reserve tackle Jake Curhan each departed in free agency. Seattle also moved on from Phil Haynes, who started eight games at guard and remains unsigned.

Who’s in: The Seahawks reunited with veteran tackle George Fant on a two-year deal, signed veteran guard Laken Tomlinson to a one-year deal and drafted guard Christian Haynes out of UConn with their third-round pick. Seattle then made a big move during training camp, signing standout center Connor Williams to a one-year deal worth up to $6 million.

2024 outlook

After more than a decade’s worth of struggles along the offensive line, the unit remains likely the biggest question mark and most pivotal position group on the team. The O-line’s trajectory appeared to be on an upswing after solid rookie seasons from tackles Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas in 2022, but the group was ravaged by a slew of injuries last year, which forced the team to roll out 10 different starting O-line combinations over the 17-game season. The unit predictably struggled as a result, with the Seahawks finishing 28th in Pro Football Focus’ pass-block grading. It was the eighth time in the past 11 seasons that Seattle ranked 25th or worse in that metric.

There are reasons to believe the unit could take a significant step forward this year. After drawing praise for his performance in training camp, it’s possible that Cross could make a third-year leap and emerge as one of the better left tackles in the league. The addition of standout center Connor Williams — one of PFF’s top-rated centers over the past two seasons — could give Seattle an elite force at a position that’s long been a revolving door. And even if Lucas’ knee issues persist throughout the season, the Seahawks are much better equipped to handle his absence after reuniting with veteran George Fant, who is expected to start at right tackle with Lucas opening the season on the physically unable to perform list.

However, those reasons for optimism are mixed with uncertainties. Will Lucas be able to make any sort of impact this year, or will his knee issues continue to keep him off the field? After tearing his ACL last December, can Williams return to his pre-injury level of play? And after two down seasons, can veteran left guard Laken Tomlinson play closer to his 2021 Pro Bowl form? The answers to those questions may ultimately determine how far Seattle goes this year. The Seahawks’ offense is loaded with skill-position talent, but their ceiling will once again be severely limited if the O-line doesn’t improve.

LT Charles Cross | 6-5, 311 | Age: 23 | 3rd year

Cross, the No. 9 overall pick in the 2022 draft, had a solid first two seasons in the NFL. He started every game as a rookie, allowing seven sacks and ranking 54th out of 81 tackles in PFF grading. Last year, he suffered a nagging toe injury in Week 1 that sidelined him for three games and persisted throughout the season, but he still managed to rank 38th out of 81 tackles in PFF grading, while allowing six sacks in 14 games. After drawing rave reviews in training camp, Cross enters a pivotal year as he looks to prove he can be a top-tier left tackle and a foundational part of Seattle’s long-term plans.

LG Laken Tomlinson | 6-3, 323 | Age: 32 | 10th year

Tomlinson is an ironman at left guard, having started 120 consecutive regular-season and postseason games dating back to 2017. He has missed only one game in his entire nine-season career, including just four offensive snaps over the past five seasons. The former first-round pick was a Super Bowl starter for San Francisco following the 2019 season and a Pro Bowler for the 49ers in 2021. He posted the two best PFF grades of his career in his final two seasons with San Francisco, ranking eighth among all guards in 2020 and 13th in 2021. But then after signing with the New York Jets, he recorded his two worst PFF grades, ranking 58th among all guards in 2022 and 53rd in 2023. He allowed a career-high seven sacks last year, which was three more than his previous career high. Tomlinson will look to bounce back in Seattle.

C Connor Williams | 6-5, 310 | Age: 27 | 7th year

Williams provides a significant upgrade at center over Oluwatimi and the since-traded Nick Harris, who were the Seahawks’ top two options at the position before they agreed to a one-year with Williams in early August. Williams was one of the best centers in the league over the past two seasons with Miami, grading as PFF’s fourth-best center in 2022 and its second-best center in 2023. Williams has returned to practice after suffering an ACL tear last December, but his status for Week 1 remains uncertain, general manager John Schneider said last week. That injury was likely the reason he was still available on the free agent market this summer. Prior to 2022, Williams spent four seasons with Dallas, where he primarily played left guard. He has made 77 career starts over his six NFL seasons. After years of center being a revolving door of starters for the Seahawks, Williams has the type of elite potential to solidify the position and elevate the entire offensive line.

RG Anthony Bradford | 6-5, 332 | Age: 23 | 2nd year

Bradford, a 2023 fourth-round pick out of LSU, started 10 games at right guard last year in place of injured season-opening starter Phil Haynes. He ranked 62nd out of 79 guards in PFF grading, finishing around league average in run blocking but near the bottom in pass blocking. Throughout training camp and the preseason, Bradford was locked in a battle with rookie third-round pick Christian Haynes for the starting right guard spot. At the moment, Bradford is ahead of Haynes on the team’s public depth chart and appears to be the favorite to start in Week 1. Bradford seemed to take a step forward in pass blocking this preseason, allowing only one quarterback pressure in 50 pass-blocking snaps, according to PFF.

RT George Fant | 6-5, 316 | Age: 32 | 9th year

With Lucas beginning the season on the PUP list and thus required to miss the first four games, Fant is on track to be the starting right tackle for at least the first part of the year. Fant, a former undrafted free agent, spent his first four seasons with the Seahawks, starting 24 games for the franchise. He then spent the next three seasons with the New York Jets before signing with Houston and starting 13 games for the Texans last year. Fant ranked 53rd out of 81 tackles in PFF grading last season, rating 34th in pass blocking and 64th in run blocking.

RT Abraham Lucas | 6-6, 322 | Age: 25 | 3rd year (PUP list)

Lucas will open the season on the physically unable to perform list, which means he will miss at least the first four games as he continues to recover from offseason knee surgery. The Everett native and 2022 third-round pick out of Washington State had a strong rookie campaign, starting 16 games and ranking No. 39 out of 81 tackles in PFF grading. But after suffering a knee injury in last year’s season opener, he ended up playing just six games last fall. He then underwent knee surgery in January and missed the entire offseason program before being placed on the PUP list ahead of training camp. Schneider said last week that the team is being cautious and playing “the long game” with Lucas’ health.

G Christian Haynes | 6-2, 318 | Age: 24 | 1st year

Haynes, a rookie third-round pick out of UConn, was in a tight battle with Bradford for the starting right guard spot during training camp and the preseason. Haynes is behind Bradford on the public depth chart, meaning he likely will open as the backup, but he has the talent and upside to keep the pressure on Bradford as the season progresses. Haynes started 49 games at right guard for UConn. He was an Associated Press third-team All-American each of the past two seasons, while allowing just one sack and two quarterback hits over that span, according to PFF.

C Olu Oluwatimi | 6-3, 309 | Age: 25 | 2nd year

Oluwatimi, a 2023 fifth-round pick, was initially battling with former UW Huskies star Nick Harris for the starting center job during the offseason program and start of training camp. But after Seattle signed Williams and then traded away Harris, Oluwatimi will likely be Williams’ backup this season. However, if Williams isn’t ready to go by Week 1 in his recovery from an ACL tear last December, Oluwatimi would be in line to start. Oluwatimi started 49 games at center during a decorated college career at Virginia and Michigan. As a senior at Michigan in 2022, he won the Rimington Trophy as the best center in the country and the Outland Trophy as the nation’s best interior lineman. He competed for the starting center job in training camp last year, but was beat out by veteran Evan Brown. He appeared in four games and made one start, filling in when Brown was out with an injury.

T Stone Forsythe | 6-8, 307 | Age: 26 | 4th year

Forsythe, a 2021 sixth-round pick, started eight games as a backup tackle last year while filling in for Cross and Lucas. However, with Fant now on the roster, Forsythe has dropped a spot on the depth chart. He ranked 60th out of 81 tackles in PFF grading last year, rating 26th in run blocking but a dismal 78th in pass blocking. He allowed five sacks, seven quarterback hits and 20 QB hurries in 312 pass-block snaps, according to PFF.

G Sataoa Laumea | 6-4, 319 | Age: 23 | 1st year

Laumea, a rookie sixth-round pick out of Utah, provides added depth at guard. He was a three-time All-Pac-12 selection at Utah, where he started 44 consecutive games while mixing time between right guard and right tackle. He primarily played right guard his first two seasons before moving predominantly to right tackle in 2022 and 2023.

T Michael Jerrell | 6-5, 294 | Age: 25 | 1st year

Jerrell, a rookie sixth-round pick out of Division II University of Findlay in Ohio, is considered a developmental project. After closing his college career with 40 consecutive starts, he participated in Ohio State’s pro day and showed elite speed for an offensive lineman, running the 40-yard dash in 4.94 seconds and posting a 10-yard split of 1.69 seconds. Both would have tied for the second-fastest times among offensive linemen at the NFL combine, had he been invited. Jerrell told reporters at rookie minicamp this spring that he had opportunities to transfer to Power Five programs, but that he wanted to remain loyal and finish his college career at Findlay.

C Jalen Sundell | 6-5, 301 | Age: 24 | 1st year

Sundell, an undrafted rookie who signed with Seattle one day prior to the beginning of training camp, was a somewhat surprising addition to the 53-man roster. He is the third center on the depth chart, which means he’s a potential insurance option who could serve as the backup if Williams isn’t ready to start by Week 1. Sundell was a four-year starter at FCS powerhouse North Dakota State. He started 25 games at center over his first three seasons with the Bison. He then moved to left tackle, where he started all 15 games last year and was named a first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association.