Seahawks Combine Confidential: Offensive Line
INDIANAPOLIS - Entering the 2019 season, the Seahawks expected their offensive line, a positional group that had been an Achilles heel for years, to become one of the team's biggest strengths.
After a surprising playoff appearance with a rebuilt roster in 2018, Seattle brought back four returning starters in the trenches, including re-signing guard D.J. Fluker to a two-year deal. The only new starter, left guard Mike Iupati, looked to be a potential upgrade over J.R. Sweezy, who signed with Arizona in March.
Unfortunately, injuries prevented the unit from reaching its potential. While Iupati had his healthiest season since 2012, tackle Duane Brown missed five games with knee issues, center Justin Britt suffered a torn ACL, and Fluker missed time with a hamstring injury.
Fast forwarding to this week's scouting combine in Indianapolis, even as coach Pete Carroll preaches keeping the line intact as much as possible, the Seahawks will face a near-impossible task maintaining continuity up front.
Three linemen with starting experience - tackles Germain Ifedi and George Fant as well as Iupati - will be unrestricted free agents when the league year begins on March 18. Britt's status also remains up in the air coming off injury, as he carries an $11 million cap hit and could be a cap casualty candidate without a restructured deal.
While general manager John Schneider would love to keep both Ifedi and Fant, he acknowledged that the market could make it tougher for Seattle to re-sign either of them.
“It’s a solid group, you know?" Schneider said of this year's free agent crop at tackle. "Every position is different. Right now, like I was saying on the podium, it’s easier to get a wide receiver than it is a starting left tackle. You know what I mean?”
If there's good news for the Seahawks, the organization picked the right year to invest a high draft pick or two on offensive linemen if necessary. While the 2020 draft class is flush with receiving talent, there's also an abundance of quality tackles, guards, and centers available.
Here are three early-round prospects who could be ideal long-term replacement options for Ifedi, Iupati, and Britt in April's draft.
Josh Jones
A three-year starter at Houston and Second-Team All-AAC selection in 2019, Jones has blossomed into one of the top tackle prospects in his class. After a strong week at the Senior Bowl, he has been receiving plenty of first-round buzz heading into the combine.
There's plenty of rawness to Jones' game, as he has only been playing football since his sophomore year of high school and admitted he has room to grow technique-wise, especially with his footwork. But as a former standout basketball player, his natural athletic tools, size (6-foot-5, 311 pounds), and length (33 5/8-inch arms) will be enticing to teams in the middle-to-late first round.
“Right now, I think I’m borderline first. I think I showed well at the Senior Bowl. A lot of teams are starting to turn on my tape... that’s a big thing for me. Wherever I go, it’s a great opportunity.”
Jones only played a handful of snaps at right tackle for the Cougars, but he indicated he would be more than willing to adjust to the right side if necessary, making him a potential target at pick No. 27 for the Seahawks. It remains unknown if the team has had a formal visit with him.
Logan Stenberg
Nicknamed "Mr. Nasty" due to his ill-temperament on the field, Stenberg loves to drive defenders off the ball in the run game and consistently blocks to, and sometimes after, the whistle. He also developed a reputation as one of the SEC's biggest trash talkers, making him a player teammates love and opponents love to hate.
While Stenberg's penchant for extracurriculars after the snap will need to be curbed at the next level and he can occasionally struggle with pad level and leverage, teams will love the mean streak he plays with. As a four-year starter at guard for the Wildcats, he also made substantial improvements with hand technique in pass protection, which could vault him into second round discussion.
Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Stenberg indicated he's met with numerous teams, including the Seahawks. Coming to Seattle would be a major change from a scheme perspective, as Kentucky ran mostly gap-based schemes, but he felt comfortable with zone blocking at the Senior Bowl and doesn't foresee any issues transitioning in the NFL.
Tyler Biadasz
Winning the Remington Award as the nation's best center last season, the 6-foot-4, 314-pound Biadasz excelled as a physical run blocker at Wisconsin. Mauling opponents up front, he led the way for star running back Jonathan Taylor to rush for over 6,000 yards and 42 touchdowns during the past three seasons.
Biadasz also held his own in pass protection, allowing just one sack and five pressures in nearly 400 pass attempts last season according to Pro Football Focus. He credited his excellent footwork on pass sets to his prior background as a defensive end at the high school level before he transitioned to center with the Badgers.
"We take a lot of pride in the Wisconsin tradition," Biadasz said. "It's such a rich tradition. Just the approach every day, too, and to exceed and to be the number one center... the number one o-line in the country, that was always our goal. Each year it's been a great."
After having a scope done on his shoulder, Biadasz won't do any drill work in Indianapolis. But his resume playing in the rugged Big Ten speaks for itself and coming from a run-centric offense, he'd be an intriguing fit to supplant Britt in 2020 or 2021 and offers the flexibility to play either guard spot as well.
