The long wait of the offseason is nearly over for Seattle Seahawks fans, with the start of the 2025 preseason just days with Mike Macdonald set to lead the team against his predecessor Pete Carroll and the Las Vegas Raiders Thursday at Lumen Field.
With the start of the preseason, one of the biggest questions of the offseason has been how the team would address the offensive line, a bottom performing unit for most of the past two decades. There were hopes of a splash signing in free agency, but as is
often the case, the biggest names to hit the market received the biggest contracts from other teams, leaving Seattle to address its needs elsewhere.
The Hawks, of course, did sign free agent swing tackle Josh Jones to a one-year contract in March, and while Jones is set to fill in while starting left tackle Charles Cross recovers from finger surgery, there’s no expectation that anyone other than Cross will man the position when he’s healthy. On the other end of the offensive line, there’s no expectation that anyone other than Abe Lucas will be at right tackle as long as his surgically repaired knee allows.
That leaves the interior of the offensive line to be sorted out, a group that struggled mightily during much of the 2024 season.
At left guard, there is zero question that Grey Zabel will start as long as he’s healthy. The 23 year old may have a steep learning curve, moving from the level of competition faced at FCS level North Dakota State to lining up across from NFL caliber defenders every snap. However, between his athleticism and his status as a first-round pick, there’s no reason to believe his role as a starter is in jeopardy, even if there are early career struggles as there are for many young offensive linemen.
Thus, the question becomes the direction the team will go at center and right guard, two positions where there was no shortage of debate during the 2024 campaign. Olu Oluwatimi and Jalen Sundell, who both started down the stretch after the abrupt retirement of Connor Williams midseason.
Right guard has even more names involved in the competition, with Sundell getting a look there, as well as Christian Haynes, Anthony Bradford and Sataoa Laumea, who all saw playing time during the 2024 season. Add in some fans clamoring for 2025 sixth round pick Bryce Cabeldue, and there are plenty of names in the mix.
However, regardless of how many names are in the mix, as training camp approaches the two week mark, the names that appear to be moving to the front are the same names that were at the top of the depth chart for much of the 2024 campaign.
At center, every report from training camp makes it appear as though Oluwatimi will retain his starting role heading into the regular season, which makes that discussion pretty simple, and leaves only right guard. Reading the tea leaves at right guard is far from as cut and dried as it is at center, but as of today, reports appear to have Bradford distancing himself from the others.
Putting all of those pieces together, for the moment the 2025 starting offensive line appears to be:
- LT Charles Cross
- LG Grey Zabel
- C Olu Oluwatimi
- RG Anthony Bradford
- RT Abe Lucas
That is a starting group that would be one of the youngest, least experienced lines in the entire NFL, four of the five were starters on the 2024 offensive line that saw so many struggles. There is no shortage of metrics to demonstrate the shortcomings of the line in 2024, but the ability of the group to allow quick pressure is what grabbed much of the attention in Ryan Grubb’s pass happy offense.
Highest quick pressure rate allowed on standard dropbacks last year:
— Hayden Winks (@HaydenWinks) July 22, 2025
+ Chiefs (33% pressure)
+ Patriots (31%)
+ Saints (29%)
+ Browns (28%)
+ Seahawks (28%)
Best OLs: Bucs, Packers, Lions.
However, while it appears most of the names will remain the same, the offensive line could improve by way of the fact that the Seahawks are set to deploy a different offensive scheme, with different coaches in position to train the youngsters. Gone are Ryan Grubb and Scott Huff, replaced by Klint Kubiak, Rick Dennison and John Benton, who spent the 2024 season with the New Orleans Saints.
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