The offense for the Seattle Seahawks is set for a potentially better and more productive season in 2023. They decided that building around Pro-Bowl quarterback Geno Smith was the best chance for the Seahawks to contend for the NFC West title and go deeper in the playoffs. General manager John Schneider drafted a young, elite wide receiver in Jaxon Smith-Njigba and another standout running back in Zach Charbonnet in the early round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Smith could continue his incredible run after leading the league in completion percentage (69.8%), throwing for 4,282 yards and a quarterback rating of 100.9. The biggest factor of the Seahawks’ success on offense is if the offensive line can improve. While the offense took a big step in 2022, it could take a step back in the upcoming 2023 season. Here is the outlook for the Seahawks’ offensive line in 2023.
Is There Concern for the Seattle Seahawks Offensive Line?
A Young Offensive Line With Serious Potential
The Seahawks are not making many changes to their offensive line from this past season. The biggest change is at center, with Austin Blythe retired and Gabe Jackson currently a free agent. Blythe would have been 32 years old at the start of the 2023 NFL season.
Taking his place is Evan Brown, who started in 12 of the 14 games played last season for the Detroit Lions. Brown will the second oldest offensive lineman in the projected starting lineup behind Phil Haynes, who turns 28 in October. The next oldest player in the starting lineup is Damien Lewis, who just turned 26 in March. The obvious youngest starters are left tackle Charles Cross (22) and Abraham Lucas (24), who were both standouts from the Seahawks’ stellar 2022 NFL Draft.
Lewis was the highest-graded player last season, according to Pro Football Focus, at 71.8, and is the best run-blocker. Brown gave up the least amount of sacks last season with two. Cross gave up two fewer sacks than Lucas (7-to-9) and was the more efficient pass protector. Lucas improved in pass protection as the season progressed, was the better run-blocker for the Seahawks, and finished with a higher PFF grade than Cross (68.5-to-63.7). Haynes played 15 games and started three of them as a backup for Jackson last season. While the offensive line is young, there is potential for this youthful line to see some solid progress in an offense that got better around them.
Damien Lewis finding work pic.twitter.com/UdEgK4yBVK
— mike (@bengals_sans) June 17, 2023
Two Rookies Competing to Start
The 2022 NFL Draft class for the Seahawks was nearly perfect, with the two offensive linemen being a key factor. This 2023 NFL Draft class could be another stellar class as guard Anthony Bradford (a fourth-rounder) and center Olusegun Oluwatimi (a fifth-rounder) could find their way to the starting units at some point during the season.
Oluwatimi has been a dominant center at the collegiate level as he started in 45 games and allowed zero snaps in 2022. Getting him in the fifth might be one of the biggest steals in this draft. Bradford is a player that is going to push Haynes for the starting right guard spot. Both players are solid and proficient blockers in the passing and running game.
Outlook on Young Seahawks Offensive Line
The offensive line could have more competitors come into the fold as the off-season continues. Seattle, however, currently feels their starting line is already on the roster. Cross, Lucas, and Lewis are the players that are safe but need to improve themselves before and during training camps. There will be some heavy competition for the starting center and right guard positions. This young offensive line could be even younger with Oluwatimi and or Bradford. Tackles Jake Curhan (25) and Stone Forsythe (25) and undrafted rookie Kendall Randolph (24) could be darkhorse candidates as starters throughout the line.
Overall, Seattle knows the offensive line is the group that has to improve the most in the remaining off-season. This unit is not considered weak, but they allowed 46 sacks last season (tied for ninth in the league). Smith was the third-most sacked quarterback in the league behind Chicago’s Justin Fields and Denver’s Russell Wilson (55).
The Seahawks were ranked 18th in rushing yards per game (120.1) last season. With Jackson gone and the line younger, offensive coordinator Shane Waldron and head coach Pete Carroll feel confident that the offense can continue its rise and remain a top-ten scoring offense in 2023. They will need to play their best with the nasty defenses they are having to face this upcoming season.
Main Photo: Kyle Terada – USA Today Sports
