Brock’s Seahawks Draft Profile: C Jonah Monheim brings experience

It’s looking more and more like the Seattle Seahawks’ biggest move to address the offensive line will come in the NFL Draft.

Brock’s Seattle Seahawks Draft Profile: Late-round LB impact

The Seahawks’ ongoing struggles up front continued last season. The O-line allowed the third most sacks (52) in the league and ranked near the bottom of the league in Pro Football Focus’ run block and pass block grades. The offense also committed a combined 53 false start and holding penalties, the most in the league.

Seattle hasn’t addressed its needs with an impactful move in free agency as of yet. And general manager John Schneider said Monday as the NFL owners’ meetings that the team likely won’t sign a veteran offense until after the draft, ESPN’s Brady Henderson reported.

If the Seahawks do look to the draft for O-linemen as expected, FOX football analyst and former NFL quarterback Brock Huard has a center that he’d like to see with a Seahawks helmet on. Huard shared why he has his eyes on USC’s Jonah Monheim as strong pick in the mid-to-late rounds Tuesday during Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk.

“Is Jonah Monheim going to have a really high grade and be drafted in the first couple days of the draft? No. But he’s going to be sitting there on day three of this draft as a kind of intriguing prospect,” Huard said.

Able to adapt

Monheim played multiple spots on the offensive line and was a four-year starter at USC. All together he made 18 starts at right tackle, 12 at left tackle, 12 at center and four at right guard.

That experience Monheim racked up while starting 46 games stands out to Huard, who noted that’s the sort of thing Philadelphia Eagles GM Howie Roseman covets.

“What you’re going to see from me in these draft profiles is a lot of Howie Roseman,” Huard said. “Played a lot of games, play them at the highest level against the best competition, and have a whole bunch of production. And that has been Jonah Monheim.”

Monheim, a former four-star high school recruit, spent much of his first four college seasons playing tackle before shifting to center in 2024. That move was made out of necessity for his pro prospects. He stands at 6 foot 4 and 307 pounds, but his 30 1/8-inch arm length is well under the threshold NFL teams look for.

“He was smart enough to realize in college that if I want to play at the next level, I’ve got to look at myself in the mirror and know what I am and what I’m not,” Huard said. “… I’m gonna take the risk, and I’m gonna put myself out there and I’m going to have to learn how to be a center – and he has.”

.@uscfb redshirt senior Jonah Monheim is ready to lead the Trojans’ offensive line in 2024 💪

He spoke to @keelyismyname about his switch to center, building team chemistry, and more at Big Ten Media Day! pic.twitter.com/8oqKrfkoVQ

— USC Trojans (@USC_Athletics) July 25, 2024

Monheim’s ex-Seahawk comp

Huard had a chance to sit down with Monheim during a production meeting before calling one of the Trojans’ games on FOX last season. The impression he got reminded him of a former Seahawks center.

“You know who I thought he reminds me of? Max Unger. Man, there’s some Max Unger to that guy,” Huard said. “He is smart, he is bright, he is easy to talk to. He’s a tremendous communicator. Guys really like him. He’s the captain of that team.”

Unger was also a four-year starter who made the transition to from tackle to center in college at Oregon. He went on to be a second-round pick and three-time Pro Bowler during a solid 10-year pro career.

“(He’s) not going to go in the second round as Max Unger did,” Huard said. “Could he play 10, 12 years in this league? Would not surprise me at all, would not surprise the USC people at all, and would be a guy in those later rounds that I would keep a really clear eye on.”

Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Listen to Brock and Salk weekdays from 6-10 a.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.

Seattle Seahawks news and analysis

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• Bump: Seattle Seahawks’ most important offensive player isn’t Darnold
• Rost: 4 potential non-OL picks for Seattle Seahawks at No. 18
• The Athletic’s Mays: A big bet the Seattle Seahawks are making on offense
• Mock Draft Roundup: Who will Seattle Seahawks pick at No. 18?

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