Seahawks Offensive Line Gets 'Instant Boost' in Mel Kiper Mock Draft
The Seattle Seahawks offense will look a little different than it did last year due to Ryan Grubb being named the offensive coordinator and a host of starting offensive linemen set to his free agency.
Whether the Seahawks will/want to bring back Evan Brown, Phil Haynes, and Damien Lewis in Mike Macdonald's first year as head coach is unknown, but the reality is that Seattle could potentially move on and look to draft their replacements.
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That's exactly what the Seahawks have done in Mel Kiper's latest mock draft as Seattle doesn't look too far to find a standout lineman in Washington's Troy Fautanu.
"OK, so guard might not be the most exciting position for a mock draft, but I can assure you that Seahawks fans should be happy with Fautanu, who could stay near where he went to college," Kiper Jr. writes. "That's because he's a fun offensive line prospect to watch on tape. He has excellent feet and plays hard on every snap. Fautanu started 28 games at left tackle for the Huskies, but I see his future on the interior because of his 6-foot-4 frame."
Heading into the offseason, the Seahawks knew that changes along the offensive line were possible. Damien Lewis has a market value of $7.4 million APY, so he looms as the most expensive to bring back out of Brown, Haynes, and himself.
That is where Fautanu comes in as he provides the versatility to play at either guard or tackle and that will no doubt appeal to Grubb and his offensive line background.
"With Evan Brown, Damien Lewis and Phil Haynes all free agents, Seattle will have holes to fill along the interior of its line," Kiper continued. "And Seattle ranked 28th in rushing yards per game (92.9), surely new coordinator Ryan Grubb wants to see upgrades there. Fautanu would give this offense an instant boost."
The Seahawks have all the weapons needed to be a seriously good offense with receivers in D.K. Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Tyler Lockett, along with a running back tandem in Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.
All that is needed is for the offensive line to improve. With the potential addition of Fautanu, who is physical and explosive in the run game and has the burst to get up to the second level and move defenders around, this growth could be on the horizon.
As Kiper says, it might not be an "exciting" pick, but in Fautanu, the Seahawks offensive line would get an upgrade, something it desperately needs.
