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One of the boxes that the Seattle Seahawks checked in the 2023 NFL draft was boosting their interior offensive line depth. Seattle picked up two new offensive linemen on Day 3 of the draft, selecting Michigan center Olu Oluwatimi in the fifth round and LSU guard Anthony Bradford in the fourth.
So far, we’ve heard all positive reviews on both counts. Head coach Pete Carroll says he is already impressed by Oluwatimi and Bradford is getting buzz as a potential Week 1 starter. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron also has nothing but prasie for these two rookies. Here’s what he had to say about Bradford on Seattle Sports radio earlier this week.
“Anthony is just an impressive physical guy as far as a big offensive lineman that really shows that ability to bend and play underneath defenders… It’ll be exciting to add him into the mix of the competition with what we feel like is a pretty good group of interior players already on the roster.”
And here are Waldron’s comments on Oluwatimi.
“At that center position, knowing that’ll be a great competition with him and Evan (Brown) and Joey (Hunt) there to take that starting center role… So the first thing we’re looking for is what type of command and control that player can have, and he’s really demonstrated all those things in the early stages.”
It would be rough news for Evan Brown and Phil Haynes and the money Seattle invested in their one-year contracts, but the team’s long-term interests would be best-served by both Oluwatimi and Bradford winning their respective competitions and getting as many starter reps as possible their first year in the league.
Heading into OTAs, we are projecting Oluwatimi will be starting at center and Haynes at right guard, but that may change before the summer is over.