The Seattle Seahawks overhauled their offense this offseason as six of their nine leaders in snaps played (Laken Tomlinson, Geno Smith, DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, Connor Williams, and Noah Fant) from 2024 are no longer with the team. Most of those players, however, have already been replaced, whether internally or externally.
One thing that remains uncertain in Seattle is who will start on the offensive line. 2022 draft picks Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas figure to retain their starting roles at left and right tackle, respectively, as they look to protect the Seahawks' investment in Sam Darnold.
Meanwhile, rookie first-rounder Greg Zabel impressed enough in his preseason debut that it may be safe to pencil him in as the starting left guard. There is much less certainty at the other two offensive line spots; however, a recent report suggested that one player may have the inside track on being the Week 1 starter at right guard.
Starting RG listed as pivotal Seahawks training camp battle
The Seahawks' unofficial depth chart has three players (Anthony Bradford, Christian Haynes, and Jalen Sundell) listed as the first-string right guard. Sundell is also listed, along with Olu Oluwatimi, as the first-string center, and Sundell is almost certainly in line to play center, with a good chance of starting.
While that will certainly change as the regular season approaches, it shows that the ongoing training camp battle truly is wide open. Moe Moton of Bleacher Report listed the right guard battle as the most important in Seattle, while predicting that Bradford appears to be in position to win the job.
He wrote that the Seahawks need to figure out their interior offensive line to get the best out of Sam Darnold before adding, "The Seahawks need a more definitive front-runner at right guard. Last season, Bradford held the position before he suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 12. The Seahawks took Haynes in the third round of last year's draft, and he served as a backup for the entire 2024 campaign...Bradford has taken most of the first-team reps in this competition."
While the positional battle remains wide open, Bradford is certainly the most experienced player competing for the starting role. He has appeared in 25 games, 21 of which he started at offensive guard.
Plus, let's be honest, Christian Haynes has been fairly terrible whenever given the chance to play real downs. He also has been moved around a bunch in camp, which seems to imply the coaching staff isn't sure if he can be good anywhere.
Meanwhile, Haynes and Sundell have a combined 14 appearances; however, neither has made a start in their brief NFL careers. Additionally, Sundell might be a better fit at starting center because he would be lined up with Grey Zabel to his left. Both played in college at North Dakota State together.
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