Have Seahawks done enough to protect Sam Darnold?

The Seattle Seahawks have made an effort to give Sam Darnold some protection along the offensive line.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold attends the TGL match between Jupiter Links GC and Atlanta Drive GC at SoFi Center | GREG LOVETT/PALM BEACH POST / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Seattle Seahawks are building an offense with Sam Darnold as the focal point following his brilliant season with the Minnesota Vikings.

Darnold was the fourth-most sacked quarterback in the NFL last season with 48. The only quarterbacks with a higher number in that category were Chicago Bears rookie Caleb Williams with 68, Houston Texans second-year pro C.J. Stroud with 52 and Seahawks signal caller Geno Smith, who went down 50 times.

Darnold will be operating with majority of Smith's offensive line from a year ago, so CBS Sports writer Cody Benjamin posed a question regarding the adequacy of the Seahawks in the trenches.

Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Darnold throws the ball against the Los Angeles Rams. | Joseph Rondone/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

"He probably isn't too concerned about losing his new gig to Jalen Milroe, who registers as more of a gadget weapon out of the gate," Benjamin wrote.

"And Mike Macdonald's "D" should be helpful, too. Still, will rookie Grey Zabel be enough to steady the oft-shaky front? Will Cooper Kupp stay on the field to serve as Darnold's passing safety valve?"

Darnold has managed to be effective without the most competent offensive line, so that experience could come in handy with the Seahawks. It may not be the most ideal, but he will have to work his way around it.

Adding Zabel in the first round of the draft certainly helps. He will start somewhere along the line, likely where the rest of the roster is lacking, whether it be on the outside or inside. He is capable of playing virtually any position on the line.

Ultimately, the Seahawks will need more than just Zabel to improve the offensive line, so they need to prove themselves in order to give Darnold a fair shot this season.

North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel during the NFL Scouting Combine at Lucas Oil Stadium | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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