John Schneider has been a successful general manager for the Seattle Seahawks for a decade and a half. His first year in full control of the roster was in 2024, and that didn't go very well. Things appear to be working a bit better in 2025.
One issue Schneider has had, even when Pete Carroll was truly running the team for the first 13 years of Schneider's tenure, is choosing good offensive linemen. The team might have started to change that recently. Charles Cross is a very good left tackle. Rookie Grey Zabel might be great at left guard.
But for the first time in maybe forever, Schneider's idea of how the offensive line should look is now taking shape. The team announced on Thursday that Cross, a first-round pick in 2022, will start at LT, of course, and Zabel at LG. The other spots make sense, too.
Seattle Seahawks name their starting offensive line for 2025
Right tackle will be Abraham Lucas, a third-round 2022 choice who has been almost continuously hurt since his rookie season. He has been healthy in training camp and the preseason this year, so maybe he will stay that way for the regular season as well. When healthy, Lucas has been good.
Right guard will unsurprisingly be manned by Anthony Bradford. Bradford was taken in the fourth round of the 2023 draft, and, when healthy, has started the last couple of years. He hasn't been good.
This offseason, the Seahawks hired Klint Kubiak to be the offensive coordinator, but nearly as importantly, brought in John Benton as the offensive line coach. Benton has spent decades in the NFL creating mostly efficient units. He appears to be doing the same in Seattle.
Bradford undoubtedly has had his best training camp. He won the right guard spot not because he was the least of the failures vying to start at the position, but because he was truly good. He was dominant in his limited preseason action. Maybe he will be everything Schneider hoped he would be when the GM drafted him.
Jalen Sundell will start as center. Mike Macdonald possibly unintentionally added the caveat on Thursday that Sundell "right now" is starting. That sounds as if there could be a quick change to Olu Oluwatimi if Sundell falters early in the season.
The positive aspect is that Sundell and Oluwatimi, before he had a back issue flare-up, were both playing well in camp. Had either one taken the starting spot, the Seattle Seahawks were in good shape. Sundell played college with Zabel at North Dakota State, however. Maybe that experience will help both in the NFL.
Seattle's 2025 offensive line will all be players on their rookie deals, and all players that John Schneider either signed as an undrafted free agent (Sundell) or drafted. If the plan works out, Schneider is going to look really good.