Brock: How Seahawks can use NFL Draft to make O-line elite

The Seattle Seahawks’ offensive line is already the strongest it’s been in more than a decade, anchored by a trio of young cornerstones in left tackle Abraham Lucas, left guard Grey Zabel and right tackle Abraham Lucas.

But what if Seattle used this week’s NFL Draft to elevate the unit from good to elite?

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Former NFL quarterback Brock Huard delved into that idea Monday on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk, focusing on Iowa standout center Logan Jones as a potential third-round option for the Seahawks.

As Huard explained, Jones could take over at center to potentially give Seattle a long-term foundational starter at four of the five O-line spots.

“Let’s solidify what’s already a strength,” Huard said. “Take a great strength and make it elite. … He could be your starter for the next 10 to 12 years.”

But what about current Seahawks starting center Jalen Sundell? In this scenario, Huard suggested sliding him to right guard, where Anthony Bradford has been up and down. Right guard was the one issue along Seattle’s O-line last year, with Bradford ranking 71st out of 79 guards in Pro Football Focus grading.

Sundell has some positional versatility, having spent his college career as a left tackle at North Dakota State.

“This move would allow Sundell to move to right guard, continue to grow and develop, and compete maybe with (right guard) Bryce Cabeldue, who they’re very high on as well,” Huard said.

‘Absolute rock-solid center’

The 6-foot-3, 299-pound Jones checks all the boxes.

He started 51 games at center over a four-year career with his home-state Hawkeyes. This past season, he won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center. He allowed only one sack combined over his final two seasons. He excelled as a zone blocker, which makes him an ideal fit for Seattle’s wide-zone rushing attack.

And then there are his physical traits. At Iowa, he set the program record with a 705-pound squat. And among all offensive linemen at the NFL combine, he ran the fastest 40-yard dash (4.90 seconds) and was second-fastest in both the three-cone drill (7.46 seconds) and the 20-yard shuttle (4.59 seconds).

“He set the squat record at Iowa. Does that tell you something?” Huard said. “Because there’s been some pretty good squatters at Iowa. You talk about zone movement and the zone run game? He’s been bursting it for the last four years as this absolute rock-solid center. … He’s a pretty darn refined product.

“And he was the fastest lineman at the combine. Does speed matter that much? I don’t know. You tell me. Did you like the athleticism of Zabel and Cross and Abe Lucas moving people and getting to the second level and cutting them down? I did. I think that’s an important part of (Seattle’s wide-zone blocking system). He’s super explosive off the ball.

“He’s just bedrock.”

O-line upgrade on the table?

Jones is ranked by ESPN as the No. 3 center and No. 99 overall prospect in this year’s draft.

In one recent mock draft, NFL.com’s Chad Reuter projected Jones as a mid-third-round pick to the Chicago Bears at No. 75 overall. Meanwhile, The Athletic’s Dane Brugler has him going in the fourth round to the Philadelphia Eagles at No. 114. ESPN’s Jordan Reid has him going one spot later to the Baltimore Ravens at No. 115.

The Seahawks have other needs that have drawn more attention in the draft leadup – including edge rusher, cornerback and running back. But Huard believes general manager John Schneider absolutely could take an interior offensive lineman somewhere in the first three rounds.

“I asked people around the block, like, would it be out of bounds for the Seahawks to take an interior lineman in the first three rounds?” Huard said. “And the answer was a definitive no. No, that’s not outside the realm.

“Just because (their entire O-line) is back and they think very, very highly of a lot of the guys in that room and the developmental pieces doesn’t mean there’s not some guys with some (high) grades in this draft class that are guards and centers. And I think (Jones) is one of them.”

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