Analysis: How Did Seahawks Offensive Tackles Perform in 2021?

With starters Duane Brown and Brandon Shell returning, Seattle expected to have better results protecting Russell Wilson in 2021. While both veterans dealt with their share of struggles and didn't play up to their standards, the emergence of an unheralded rookie provides optimism for the future.

Despite entering the 2021 season with championship aspirations, the Seahawks lost five of their first eight games and never fully recovered, finishing in last place in the NFC West with a 7-10 record.

Following an offseason in which quarterback Russell Wilson aired his grievances about getting hit too much, Seattle's offensive tackles endured a roller coaster of a season protecting the quarterback in 2021. Along the way, however, the team may have unearthed their latest undrafted gem in Jake Curhan, while Duane Brown seemed to find the fountain of youth in the final two months.

Looking back at the season in retrospect, how did Seattle's offensive tackles perform as a group in 2021? And what comes next at the position?

Duane Brown

2021 Stats: 17 starts, 96.3 percent pass protection efficiency rate

Overall Season Grade: C+ (79.0)

What Went Right: Rebounding from an atrocious first half, Brown reaffirmed his status as one of the NFL's most reliable blind side protectors in the final two months of the season. In Seattle's final eight games, with center Ethan Pocic returning to the lineup as a replacement for Kyle Fuller and shoring up communication in the trenches, he yielded a grand total of 10 quarterback pressures and a single sack in pass protection. In the ground game, Brown also found his footing down the stretch as a run blocker, helping create running lanes for Rashaad Penny to erupt with nearly 700 rushing yards and six touchdowns in the final five games of the season.

What Went Wrong: After orchestrating a "hold in" during training camp and choosing not to participate in practices while he lobbied for a new contract, Brown looked like a shell of his former self during Seattle's first eight games. While he only allowed 17 pressures, he uncharacteristically surrendered six sacks against Russell Wilson and Geno Smith during that span, tied for the most among NFL tackles. Per Pro Football Focus, he also struggled to generate movement in the run game, ranking 39th out of 57 qualified tackles in that department, suggesting Father Time had finally caught up with him.

Closing Thoughts: Brown endured a bizarre 14th NFL season, appearing to be washed up in the first half and recovering to turn in a strong final eight games. Scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent in March, the veteran tackle's advancing age may limit his market. With him turning 37 in August, the Seahawks shouldn't even consider the possibility of a multi-year deal. But the player has stated publicly that he would be open to a one-year deal and considering the team's lack of a contingency plan behind him, there's a decent chance he comes back for a sixth season in Seattle.

Jake Curhan

2021 Stats: Five starts, 94.5 percent pass protection efficiency rate

Overall Season Grade: C (77.0)

What Went Right: Becoming the latest in a long line of undrafted success stories in Seattle, Curhan impressed throughout training camp and the preseason to earn a spot on the 53-man roster right out of the gate. When called into action as a reserve against Minnesota and San Francisco, the former California standout gave the Seahawks invaluable reps at right guard as well as right tackle. Once Brandon Shell went down with a shoulder injury in early December, Curhan started each of the final five games at right tackle, allowing a single sack and dominating in the trenches as a run blocker to spring Penny for 130-plus rushing yards in four of those contests. During that span, Pro Football Focus graded him as the 16th best run blocking tackle out of 54 qualified players. Logging over 400 offensive snaps as a rookie, he wasn't penalized a single time.

What Went Wrong: Hindered to an extent by athleticism-related deficiencies, Curhan struggled blocking against twitchy, explosive pass rushers, particularly when forced into action in the interior against the 49ers in Week 13. He allowed a pair of sacks in that game and for the season, he yielded 20 pressures and four sacks on 230 pass blocking reps, receiving a subpar 37.2 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

Closing Thoughts: While it remains to be seen how high of a ceiling Curhan has moving forward due to question marks in pass protection and athletic limitations, the 6-foot-6, 330-pound blocker made a strong case to start for the Seahawks at right tackle in 2022 by exceeding all expectations as a rookie. Seattle would be smart to bring in capable competition for him in training camp, but if he takes a big step forward and wins the job outright, the organization may have hit the jackpot landing a potential long-term starter from the undrafted ranks.

Brandon Shell

2021 Stats: 10 starts, 96.4 percent pass protection efficiency rate

Overall Season Grade: C (73.5)

What Went Right: When healthy, Shell made noticeable improvements as a run blocker compared to his first season in Seattle. He received at least at 65.0 grade from Pro Football Focus in six of his 10 starts, something he accomplished just three times in 11 starts in 2020. He exhibited great toughness battling through a troublesome shoulder injury, yielding zero sacks in his last four starts despite being well below 100 percent.

What Went Wrong: After a stellar first season with the Seahawks, Shell took a significant step back in pass protection in 2021. Per PFF, he surrendered more pressures (21) and the same number of sacks (3) on 106 fewer pass blocking reps than he did in 2020. As a result, after ranking 15th out of 63 qualified tackles (80.3) in the season prior, his grade plunged to 50th out of 66 qualified tackles this season. Continuing to struggle with durability, after missing five games with an ankle sprain in 2020, he missed a grand total of seven games this year due to shoulder and ankle injuries as well as testing positive for COVID-19.

Closing Thoughts: When asked about Shell's future, coach Pete Carroll sounded open to the idea of bringing the veteran tackle back for a third season. Assuming he fully recovers from the shoulder injury that forced him out of the lineup in the final five games, it's possible he could return to compete against Curhan for the right to start next season. But it seems more likely the team will go in a different direction after watching him battle constant injuries the past two years.

Stone Forsythe

2021 Stats: 10 games, 100 percent pass block efficiency rate

Overall Season Grade: C- (71.0)

What Went Right: When Forysthe finally got a chance to play meaningful regular season snaps in a Week 13 win over the 49ers, he held his own while matched up against All-Pro pass rusher Nick Bosa. He didn't allow any pressures on six pass protection reps and also made a couple nice blocks in the run game, putting quality play in all facets on tape for the coaching staff to review.

What Went Wrong: Aside from his crash course outing against Bosa, Forsythe's rookie season ultimately was a redshirt. He didn't play a single offensive snap in any of Seattle's other 16 regular season games and was limited to sparingly seeing the field on special teams. He also was held out of seven games as a healthy scratch.

Closing Thoughts: With Brown entrenched as the starter at left tackle and Curhan emerging as a viable option at right tackle in Shell's absence, Forsythe didn't receive much of an opportunity to show what he could do as a rookie. The athletic tackle has a chance to potentially work his way into a more expanded role next season, depending on whether or not Brown returns and what the team ultimately chooses to do at the position.

Seahawks 2021 Positional Report Cards

Quarterback

Running Back

Receiver

Tight End

Guard/Center - Coming Soon

Defensive Tackle

Defensive End

Linebacker

Cornerback

Safety - Coming Soon

Specialists - Coming Soon