Combine Confidential: Ample Guard Talent For Seahawks to Shore Up Offensive Line
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Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson blocks a defender during a road game against Michigan. [/caption]
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Continuing a troublesome trend, the Seattle Seahawks once again dealt with significant issues in the interior of their offensive line last season, including rotating in three different players at right guard over the course of the 17-game schedule without a long-term answer arising.
In the past, general manager John Schneider has called guards “overdrafted and overpaid,” but he offered more clarify for those comments prior to this year’s combine on an interview with Seattle Sports 710, saying the position remains an important one that has been tricky to shore up due to supply and demand issues and prioritizing spending money elsewhere.
“It's not about level of importance. It's extremely important. It's highly valued,” Schneider told hosts Dave Wyman and Bob Stelton. “But we still, to this day, because of the dearth of talent at the position, will overpay at that position and will overdraft at that position. And we've been guilty of it, and we probably will be guilty of it in the future as well. It’s just based on a level of talent. It's a position that everybody is looking for.”
With veteran starter Laken Tomlinson heading to free agency and questions looming about whether or not Anthony Bradford, Christian Haynes, or Sataoa Laumea can develop into long-term starters, guard remains a major area of concern leading up to the 2025 NFL Draft. Here’s a look at nine guard prospects who could be possible fits for the Seahawks in the first round, in the second and third round, and as day three bargains:
First Round
Tyler Booker, Alabama
A mountain of a man at 6-5, 325 pounds, Booker emerged as one of the SEC’s premier offensive linemen as a two-year starter for the Crimson Tide, earning First-Team All-SEC honors in 2024. Making significant strides in pass protection during his final two years at Tuscaloosa, he didn’t give up a single sack during his junior season and posted a fantastic 98.6 percent pass block efficiency rate, nearly a full percent better than his first season as a starter in 2023. He’s a smooth operator in pass protection, particularly against bull rushers where he sets a firm anchor, while he offsets average lateral quickness with outstanding technique, excelling at taking quality angles out of his stance to consistently win on reach blocks utilizing his plus-length and find a way to get his hands on defenders at the second level.
At the next level, Booker will have to work on keeping his hands inside, as he has had a tendency for them to slip outside of the targeting area towards the edge of opposing shoulder pads and draw too many holding penalties, which can be an even bigger problem going against more talented NFL defensive linemen. But he’s a dynamic all-around blocker with SEC pedigree who should be able to offer scheme flexibility and he will be one of the prospects with the most eyes on him in Indy with the opportunity to solidify his standing as the top guard in this year’s draft class with a strong workout and interviews.
Second/Third Round
Donovan Jackson, Ohio State
A rare three-year starter for the Buckeyes given the amount of talent that comes through Columbus, Jackson garnered All-Big Ten distinction in 2022 and 2023 as a stalwart guard in Ohio State’s prolific offensive machine, yielding just three sacks during that span protecting C.J. Stroud and Kyle McCord. He opened his senior season at left guard before an injury to tackle Joshua Simmons forced him to slide outside and initially, he struggled transitioning to left tackle, surrendering two sacks and five pressures in a rough start against Penn State. But after that point, he adapted smoothly and didn’t allow another sack in the final eight games of the season, showcasing better than expected athleticism and positional versatility for NFL scouts.
As demonstrated with his successful run at tackle, the 6-4, 320-pound Jackson has above average movement skills that allow him to consistently reach defenders on wide zone runs and flip his hips open to sprint out into space on pulling assignments with ease. He also has plenty of punch at the point of attack and can drive defensive tackles off the ball on gap runs, presenting scheme flexibility teams will covet. Late reactions recovering in pass protection when he gets beaten initially will need to be cleaned up blocking NFL defensive tackles for him to hold up in pass pro, but there’s a lot of polish in this prospect and a stellar combine week could put him in first round territory.
Grey Zabel, North Dakota State
The latest Bison offensive lineman to vault up draft boards, Zabel proved to be a beacon of versatility in Fargo, seeing snaps at all five offensive line positions over the course of his five seasons with the FCS powerhouse. Jumping into the lineup as a sophomore, he made five starts at right tackle and one at left guard while also playing some snaps at center, turning that audition into a full-time starting job at left guard in 2023. As a senior, he moved to left tackle and turned in a dominant season protecting the blind side, yielding seven pressures and one sack on 453 pass blocking snaps and posting an elite 86.4 run blocking grade, earning All-American honors and a Senior Bowl invite for the national champions.
Built with a 6-5, 315-pound frame that holds room for added muscle, Zabel’s natural athleticism and fluid movement skills shine on zone concepts both as a tackle and a guard, as he regularly wins the position battle on reach blocks to seal defenders and can do damage at the second level. His lack of length will be a concern for some teams, as he will have to have a quick trigger to get his hands into defenders to compensate in pass protection at the next level, but he showed he belongs in Mobile with an outstanding Senior Bowl week seeing snaps in multiple spots, including center, and his rapid rise up draft boards could take a turn to the first round if he tests exceptionally well in Indy.
Wyatt Milum, West Virginia
Logging substantial snaps immediately upon arrival at Morgantown, Milum eclipsed 600 snaps in all four of his seasons with the Mountaineers, initially playing right tackle as a freshman before flipping to the left side as his permanent home for the final three seasons on campus. Incredibly, he didn’t allow a single sack from his sophomore year onward, finishing his college career with a pass blocking efficiency rate of 98.3 percent and surrendering fewer than 10 pressures in 2023 and 2024. He also graded out as the second-best run blocking tackle per Pro Football Focus (90.0) last season, earning First-Team All-Big 12 distinction and landing a spot in the Senior Bowl.
Built like a tackle at 6-6, 315 pounds, Milum plays with a powerful base in pass protection, rarely getting bullied on bull rushes and locking his feet into the ground to thwart opposing power. Though not the most nimble athlete, he takes good tracks out of his stance on zone schemes reaching defenders and has exhibited enough movement skills to excel in any scheme. He has been susceptible to speed off the edge, in part due to sawed-off arms that hinder him staying connected at the top of the rush, and a move inside to guard seems like the best bet for his future. Testing well, particularly in agility drills, should lock up a second or early third round selection for a prospect with long-term starting potential inside.
Tate Ratledge, Georgia
Entering his senior season viewed as one of the top guard prospects in the 2025 class after yielding no sacks as a junior in 2023, Ratledge suffered a serious high ankle sprain in September and had to undergo tight rope surgery, forcing him to miss four games. Upon his return, it took him a while to get his legs back underneath him, as he struggled before getting benched in a Week 11 loss to Ole Miss. But the 6-6, 320-pound blocker found his groove towards the end of the season and finished with just seven pressures allowed on 311 pass blocking reps, still managing to earn First-Team All-SEC recognition despite the injury and landing on the Senior Bowl roster.
Built more like a tackle with long arms, Ratledge has excelled at moving defenders off the line of scrimmage at the point of attack and when healthy as a three-year starter in Athens, he has exhibited decent athletic traits for the position as a pulling guard and in pass protection. At 6-6, he has a tendency to lose the leverage battle at times due to high pad level, which may be more of a problem against NFL defenders without adequate technique corrections. Simply being healthy during workouts at the combine and posting solid testing numbers should be enough to ease any reservations teams have about this day two prospect who carries a high floor and plenty of upside left to unearth with immediate starting potential.
Day Three
Miles Frazier, LSU
Originally a lightly recruited guard who started his college career at Florida International, Frazier transferred to LSU in 2022 and instantly became a starter for coach Brian Kelly, emerging as a capable pass protector against top-tier competition. He broke out as a junior for the Tigers in 2023, allowing just six pressures on eventual Heisman Trophy winner and top-five pick Jayden Daniels on 474 pass blocking snaps. Once again approaching a 99 percent pass block efficiency rate, he surrendered zero sacks as a senior in 2024, earning PFF's fifth-best pass blocking grade (88.0) despite not being selected as an All-SEC performer and receiving an invite to the Senior Bowl.
At 6-5, 324 pounds, Frazier has surprisingly small hands (9 inches), which could create some concerns about his ability to win at the point of attack against NFL defenders in the trenches. But he has decent length with near 34-inch arms, plays with plenty of physicality, and has better than advertised lateral quickness, which should allow him to be successful in zone or gap schemes at the next level. After an up-and-down week in Mobile, he still may have an outside shot to work his way back into day two if he can test favorably in Indianapolis this week.
Clay Webb, Jacksonville State
Originally committing to Georgia as a five-star recruit, off-field issues led to Webb being subject to a lawsuit and departing the program after his redshirt freshman year for a fresh start with Jacksonville State. Turning his life around and re-establishing himself as a viable NFL prospect, he thrived as a three-year starter at left guard for the Gamecocks, including allowing just two pressures and a sack on 350 pass blocking snaps in 2023. He finished his standout college career giving up just seven pressures and receiving an 82.7 run blocking grade as a senior while being named First-Team All-Conference USA and securing an invite to Mobile for the Senior Bowl.
While not the biggest prospect at 6-3, 310 pounds, Webb has a compact frame that has allowed him to hold up well against power rushes and create push in the run game against C-USA competition, though a lack of length and size could be far more problematic at the next level and may even necessitate moving back to center, his natural position. However, he’s a glider from the guard spot who has elite lateral quickness and excels on the move, which will be a major draw for teams running zone-heavy run schemes, and he’s smooth stepping into his pass sets as a protector. As long as character concerns can be alleviated, there’s a great chance he tests well in Indy and sets himself up as one of the first guards to go on day three, if not earlier.
Luke Kandra, Cincinnati
Originally kicking off his college career at Louisville, Kandra saw significant snaps at both guard spots as a sophomore for the Cardinal in 2022, but he opted to transfer to nearby Cincinnati prior to his junior season following the departure of coach Scott Satterfield, who took over as the Bearcats new coach. Entrenched as the starter at right guard for his final two collegiate seasons, he made dramatic improvements in pass protection as a senior, allowing no sacks after giving up four of them in 2023 and improving his pass block efficiency rating by 1.5 percent. Though he was a First-Team All-Big 12 selection, he didn't participate in the Senior Bowl or East/West Shrine Bowl.
A powerful 6-4, 318 pounds, Kandra throws heavy hands and has enough pop to throw a violent punch in the run game as a drive blocker, but he also will surprise as zone blocker, winning more with technique than athleticism on reach blocks. Playing in a phone booth helps mitigate his plodding feet in pass protection for the most part, but he can be vulnerable to allowing quick penetration against more athletic defenders and questions about his mirroring ability persisted despite statistical improvements in his final college season. Putting together a solid workout in Indianapolis would do wonders for helping secure a mid-day three selection and give teams with zone-centric schemes more reason to consider him.
Connor Colby, Iowa
Another player boasting excellent versatility, Colby started games at three different positions for the Hawkeyes over the course of his career, ultimately settling in at right guard during his final two seasons in Iowa City. Gradually improving protecting the quarterback as a four-year starter, he saw his number of pressures and sacks allowed decline from 2022 to 2024, and his run blocking prowess helped open up lanes for sensational star running back Kaleb Johnson, earning himself First-Team All-Big Ten honors as a senior. He didn’t participate in the Senior Bowl or East/West Shrine Bowl.
Quite tall for an interior blocker, the 6-6, 310-pound Colby has been a natural fit for Iowa’s zone run game, using his movement skills and spry athleticism to his advantage on reach blocks and climbing to the second level off combos. He’s a cerebral player who understands blocking schemes against different defensive fronts inside and out, which helps compensate for his lack of raw power at the point of attack. Technique can be a huge issue for him in pass protection, as he has been tied into knots by stunts and blitz pickups in the past and can struggle to keep his hands connected deeper into pass sets. There’s not a ton of schematic flexibility for him, but teams that like to get their linemen running and moving could have a spot for him and a strong combine should mean he will be drafted in April.
