Seahawks 2021 Draft Profile: Jack Anderson

At the heart of Russell Wilson's well-documented offseason dispute with the Seahawks' front office is an ever-growing frustration towards their inability to build an offensive line capable of keeping him upright. Since his rookie season in 2012, Wilson has been sacked 393 times. In all, defenses have pressured him on 2,134 snaps over the first nine years of his NFL career.

Under offensive line coach Mike Solari, the Seahawks have made great strides in improving their blocking up front since 2018. While that's prominently been reflected in their rushing attack, it's become more rare to see Wilson scrambling for his life on a consistent basis. That's not to say that doesn't still happen - it does, and for a whole game at times - but Seattle has gotten better at limiting the damage.

Last year, they were firing on all cylinders to start the season. Wilson still took some hits, but he often had clean pockets to work within, giving him time to throw on his way to an MVP-caliber start to the 2020 campaign. Then injuries came down, most importantly to left guard Mike Iupati and right tackle Brandon Shell, and the offense, as a result, flew off the rails. The culmination of injuries and inconsistency across the line, as well as Wilson and the offense's regression as a whole, all came to a head this past January as the Seahawks were dominated by a stingy Rams defense in the wild-card round.

Now a couple months removed from that disaster of a performance, the Seahawks' two biggest weaknesses along the line - left guard and center - are set to house two new starters in 2021. Iupati has retired, Ethan Pocic is a free agent, and Jordan Simmons - who rotated in and out of left guard with Iupati - has been non-tendered by the team as a restricted free agent.

The Seahawks have limited funds to work with this offseason, but enough wiggle room to make a splash at one of the two positions. Whichever position goes unaddressed in a significant way will likely have to be handled through the 2021 NFL Draft, in which the Seahawks have just four picks with only one in the top 100. Needing to make each pick count, selecting a starting interior offensive lineman may be their most pressing need entering the event.

If so, Seattle should have the opportunity to land a powerful and versatile prospect in Texas Tech's Jack Anderson. The 2020 All-Big 12 honoree started all four of his seasons at right guard in Lubbock, proving to be a dominant interior force in one of the toughest conferences in the country.

Strengths

At the Senior Bowl, Anderson measured in at 6-foot-5, 309 pounds with 31.6-inch arms. He does well in playing up to his size, often dominating smaller defensive ends and tackles at the line of scrimmage.

His athletic ability - though far from elite - is surprising given his build. He's a solid lateral mover at the line, often gets to the point of attack in a timely fashion, and works his way to the second level with urgency and intensity. He's a violent blocker and a decent enough athlete to be able to succeed in any zone run scheme.

D’Ante Smith, David Moore Jr. and Jack Anderson (LT, LG, C) dominating up front. Love to see my guy Kylin Hill get that kind of running room #SeniorBowl pic.twitter.com/2VFBjhQaJd
— Clay Smars (@ClaySmars) January 30, 2021

As he showed at the Senior Bowl, Anderson is fairly proficient as a pass protector. He's a wall-builder with good overall awareness and balance. Quick off the line and has the wherewithal to help seal off gaps and silence opposing rushers.

He's also putting in the time to get better in the buildup to the draft, working with highly respected offensive line scout and developer Duke Manyweather at OL Masterminds. There, Anderson has been training with fellow prospects such as Tennessee's Trey Smith and Stanford's Walker Little, as well as Packers Pro Bowler Elgton Jenkins and former Cowboys and Broncos guard Ronald Leary.

Weaknesses

Anderson has a rather high ceiling—that is, if he can refine his technique in accordance to the NFL's standard.

In the game and practice reps he struggled in at the Senior Bowl, it was always pretty clear what the issue was. At times, Anderson would appear too upright and/or flat-footed in pass protection. In the run game, he'd come off the snap too slow and miss his fit. These were all issues of his at Texas Tech as well.

From a technical standpoint, there's a ton of work that still needs to be done with his hands and feet. He also tends to struggle with spacial awareness, occasionally getting himself off-balance by reaching for the defender rather than meeting them head-on.

Despite his accomplishments in college, it's apparent why many view him as a mere mid-round pick. There are glaring mechanical issues in his game that could derail his professional career before it even gets started, but that's also the case for pretty much any offensive line prospect. The size is excellent and the athleticism is good enough to get by, but he'll have to get more consistent in his approach to land an everyday role at the highest level.

Fit in Seattle

If anyone can help Anderson hone in his unique skillset, it's Mike Solari. With a summer's worth of work, the potential third or fourth-round selection could be ready to take on a starting role come September.

Though he exclusively played right guard at Texas Tech, Anderson should have no issues transitioning to left guard or center. So no matter where the Seahawks put their focus in free agency, Anderson should still make sense for them at the end of April.

If they don't need him to start right away, that's even better. Provided even more time to develop, Anderson could be in a great position to have a significant impact later on in 2021 or in 2022.

Given his size and strength, there's a lot to dream on here. With NFL coaching and a little bit of patience, there may be a well-rounded, multi-year starter to be discovered here.