Seahawks Counting On Powerful Anthony Bradford to 'Compete to Start'
RENTON, Wash. - Over the years, Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll have gravitated towards certain programs more than others selecting players in the NFL draft.
Among their most frequent, in part to Carroll's lengthy friendship and working relationship with coach Ed Orgeron, the Seahawks picked six players from LSU in the previous 13 drafts under the current regime. Most recently, they selected two players from the perennial SEC powerhouse in 2020, including three-year starting guard Damien Lewis in the third round.
Not surprisingly, that number increased on day three of the 2023 NFL Draft as Seattle once again selected a former Tiger by tabbing guard Anthony Bradford with the 108th overall pick in the fourth round, teaming him back up with Lewis in the NFL.
“When I was taking my visit I was talking to him [Damien]," Bradford told reporters moments after being drafted. "I’m geeked up to get down there with him. We were saying that if it did happen [get drafted by the Seahawks], we would have to go to work. It happened, so it’s time to go to work.”
Aside from being teammates with Lewis in Baton Rouge, Bradford enters the league offering plenty of similarities skill-wise to his veteran counterpart in the trenches. A body mover with a propensity for knocking defenders off the ball with pure power and physicality, the 334-pound blocker prides himself on shooting out of his stance and "putting my face on somebody" to open up lanes for backs operating behind him.
Considering the Seahawks desire to run the ball effectively with Carroll as the coach and the potential opening at right guard in the aftermath of the departure of Gabe Jackson, hearing such words from the player himself likely put a smile on the faces of many fans shortly after learning of his selection.
In the pass protection department, while Bradford did yield four sacks during his final season at LSU and can have issues staying in front of quicker defensive tackles, he only surrendered 12 pressures on 423 pass blocking reps according to Pro Football Focus. Nimble for a player of his size, those numbers stack up almost dead even with Lewis from his final year with the program when he gave up three sacks and 11 pressures for the eventual national champions.
When asked to describe his playing style, Bradford said his ability to toe the line between being aggressive at the point of attack while staying sound fundamentally has keyed his prior success and will be instrumental to his chances of excelling at the next level in Seattle.
“I feel like I’m an aggressive player, but I’m an aggressive smart player," Bradford remarked. "There are times when I may look passive, but I’m coming aggressive. I really take pride in my feet and my technique. So, I feel like I’m an aggressive player with good technique.”
Under the radar after his lone season as a starter for the Tigers, Bradford put his name on the map to an extent with a quality showing at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis. In addition to a respectable 1.74 10-yard split on his 40-yard dash, he posted quality times in the 3-cone drill and short shuttle, exhibiting underrated lateral mobility for a hulking guard prospect.
From there, the Seahawks scheduled Bradford for a top-30 visit, flying him out to the VMAC to meet with the team's coaching and support staff.
Summing up his game while also discussing his difficult upbringing that led him to Louisiana, Schneider put extra emphasis on Bradford's strength and ability to drive opponents into the turf as highlighted attributes that appealed to the Seahawks.
"Oh wow," Schneider said of Bradford. "Square, power, heavy hands. You can see him finishing people... He had a rough go where he grew up in Michigan and has overcome a lot, would go back and see his mom. His mom was struggling for a little while back home. So he's overcome a lot of things in his life."
While Schneider only gets to see a handful of college games every year during the heat of the NFL season, he did have the privilege of watching Bradford go to work under adverse conditions against a top-10 ranked Tennessee squad last season. With starting left tackle Will Campbell injured, LSU asked the Muskegon native to slide from his right guard stead to protect the blindside, putting him in a seemingly impossible position against a talented defensive front.
Bradford battled his share of issues playing out of his accustomed position, allowing a pair of sacks as the Tigers got blown out by the Volunteers 40-13 at home. But Schneider left impressed by his performance in a challenging situation and after getting exposed early, he rebounded to turn in a solid game allowing just three pressures on 60 pass blocking reps, displaying the resiliency and grit Seattle covets.
"He's a big man, he can compete to start, and he can get you out of a game at tackle," Schneider assessed.
Reunited with Lewis in the Pacific Northwest, Bradford shouldn't have to worry about having to play tackle for the Seahawks with the return of second-year players Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas as well as backups Stone Forsythe and Jake Curhan. The team also has Greg Eiland still on the roster after two years on the practice squad, making the incoming rookie an emergency option at best.
However, as indicated by both Schneider and Carroll, Bradford should be well-positioned to compete for playing time inside right away. After releasing Jackson in March as a cap casualty, fifth-year veteran Phil Haynes stands as the only obstacle between him and fighting his way into Seattle's lineup.
Much as Lewis did grabbing ahold of the left guard starting gig right out of the gate in his rookie training camp in 2020, Bradford will have a legitimate opportunity to wrangle the job away from Haynes early. If he's able to pick up the offense and his surprisingly athleticism translates to the Seahawks zone-oriented run game, the apprentice has a great chance to match the master and become the latest LSU alum to jump right into the starting five on day one.
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