NFL analyst names 'worst' Seahawks starter before Week 1 vs. 49ers

A juicy matchup of two of the NFC West's best teams could feature a head-to-head battle between what one NFL analyst believes is the two worst starters.

When the Seattle Seahawks host San Francisco 49ers Sunday afternoon at Lumen Field, all eyes will be on new quarterback Sam Darnold and his first start in front of the 12s. But one sports site will be focused more in the trenches, where Seahawks' right guard Anthony Bradford will be assigned to block Niners' defensive tackle Jordan Elliott.

MORE: Seahawks legend Richard Sherman shares surprising prediction for NFC West

The site Sportsnaut believes Bradford and Elliott represent the team's two worst starters. By all accounts, Bradford - who has started 21 games over the last two seasons - had a good training camp for head coach Mike Macdonald's team. But the site believes he is Seattle's weakest link.

"The Seattle Seahawks have a new franchise quarterback, but Sam Darnold could have a hard time staying upright due to the team’s offensive line," the site writes. "Right guard Anthony Bradford doesn’t help, as he committed 10 penalties and allowed seven sacks in just 578 snaps at right guard last season. After allowing 28 pressures a season ago, the Seahawks have to hope the 24-year-old takes a major leap forward in his third season."

MORE: What Kyle Shanahan said about Mike Macdonald ahead of Seahawks-49ers season opener

If they're correct, it's fortunate for Seattle that Bradford will be lined up some of the time against the Niners' least impressive starter in Elliott.

"The San Francisco 49ers lost several starters to free agency this past offseason," says Sportsnaut. "Thus, there are a lot of question marks on both sides of the ball. Yet, the most glaring weakness may be at defensive tackle, where Jordan Elliott is set to fill a starting role. A third-round pick from 2020, Elliott has never earned even above-average grades from PFF. In fact, his best season (in PFF’s eyes) came as a rookie when he posted a paltry 51.3 grade. Last season, Elliott played 439 snaps on the defensive line, but he only recorded 14 solo tackles. He also graded 79th among 97 defensive interior players and 69th in run defense. In other words, he doesn’t do anything particularly well, but he’ll be one of Robert Saleh’s starters anyway."

Denver Broncos defensive tackle D.J. Jones (93) celebrates a holding penalty against Seattle Seahawks guard Anthony Bradford (75) for a safety in 2024 | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

More Seahawks on SI stories