Grey Zabel only cleans 33% of Seahawks' mess

Should Seahawks double-down on the guard position in 2026?

Grey Zabel is the first star of the 2025 offensive line class. As we found out on Saturday when I posted Seahawks film breakdown videos from across YouTube, many of the top creators were intrigued by Zabel’s preseason debut whether they cover Seattle regularly or not. Zabel was the subject of two of those videos and I came across a third breakdown this weekend that calls him a “physical phenom” with All-Pro potential.

Tyler Booker, the first guard off of the board, didn’t suit up for the Cowboys and has spent much of training camp playing with the 2s.

One of the attributes pointed out by All-22 in his Zabel video is his quick, choppy feet that plant down twice as fast as counterpart Anthony Bradford on the right side. Actually that breakdown video also came out after I published on Saturday, so make it four Zabel film studies already:

But something was missing from Seattle’s offensive line that should make Grey Zabel play even better in the future: Charles Cross.

The Seahawks offensive line managed a good performance against the Raiders even with Josh Jones at left tackle and Jalen Sundell at center. Maybe Sundell will beat out Olu Oluwatimi for the starting job by Week 1 — he’s been out with a minor injury and was still missing from practice as of Sunday — but there’s a chance that Zabel will be bookended by different players on both sides when the Seahawks face the 49ers…and a probability that the two starters to his right will be below-average or outright bad.

This weakness was re-emphasized during Mike Macdonald’s press conference on Sunday.

When asked how Sundell played against the Raiders, the tone of Macdonald’s voice immediately pitched up for “He’s having a lot of great plays” and was immediately followed by a “but…”. On the situation at right guard, Macdonald simply said that it continues to be a competition and that he won’t name a starter by the next preseason game.

Now if you remember, two months ago Macdonald told the media that he wanted to name starters at center and guard “sooner than later” and I wrote that I was skeptical of that happening. Last year’s competition at center never ended but the Seahawks were in no rush to make a statement at the position over the offseason. What’s different this year? Almost literally nothing.

The Zabel that everybody saw on Thursday is a revelation compared to Seattle’s guards of yesteryear…

The Zabel we will see by December could be the fire that John Schneider needs under his ass to finally go fix the problems at center and right guard.

Because when I watch these Grey Zabel breakdowns I immediately ask myself what it would be like if the Seahawks had two more players that matched his talent at the two biggest remaining weaknesses on the offense. For the something-year in a row, Seattle entered training camp with interior offensive line competitions and will close camp without clear answers at center and right guard.

Both Sundell and Bradford gave coaches a few plays that would be reasons for optimism — I’m not saying that the Seahawks offensive line can’t be “good enough” with who they currently have or that Seattle has given up on Olu and Christian Haynes and the rest of the options — but I have to put this question back to you:

Would it be worth it to you for the Seahawks to use their first pick in the 2026 draft on a center or guard again?

Even for a fan like me who has spent hundreds of hours writing about Seattle’s drastic under-valuation of interior offensive linemen and the potential financial pratfalls of using first round picks on those players, I actually found it easy to come right back to center/guard in the first two rounds again next year by process of eliminating other positions.

While three positions will always be a first round consideration (QB, OT, EDGE), why not draft another guard or a center in 2026 if Seattle a) has retained Abe Lucas, b) is happy with their quarterbacks, and c) there is no clear favorite at edge left on the board?

Assuming that the Seahawks are not drafting in the top-10 or top-15 again, an interior offensive lineman could be the clear cut best available player and then maybe Seattle’s OL has Zabel, and Cross, and Lucas, and this new rookie.

Wait that might actually be a great offensive line…built by the Seahawks.

There’s a line in Silicon Valley that goes, “If you keep screaming your name, it forces the assailant to acknowledge you as a human.”

Maybe if we name some offensive line prospects in the 2026 draft, it will make the possibility of the Seahawks picking one of them feel real and potentially desirable to those of us who think one Zabel is enough.

Win Lew or Draw?

C Connor Lew, Auburn

Lew is the early favorite to be the best center in 2026, as Dane Brugler name-dropped him as so in The Athletic over the summer.

"Whether he is climbing to the second level or working laterally to protect the pocket, Lew plays with above-average quickness and control in his movement patterns. He is tough and physical and has a solid anchor, but it’s his slide mirror coupled with his blocking awareness that stands out most.

"The negative reps on Lew’s tape usually are a result of his initial strike being slightly off the mark. Though he plays with balance and hand strength (he’s a former high school wrestler), his recovery skills are inconsistent, especially in the run game. Going into his second season as a full-time starter, I expect this part of his game to continue to get better," Brugler wrote.

Lew is only 19, meaning that he would only be 20 when he starts his first training camp. That’s a positive in the sense that he’s already this good as a teenager, but could also mean that Lew wants to return to Auburn for his senior season before being tested by players who could be 10-12 years older than him.

NFLDraftBuzz is also high on Lew and notes that he had an exceptionally early start in the country’s toughest conference:

Now entering his third season as the Tigers' starting center, Lew has already been pegged by head coach Hugh Freeze as "an NFL center" and is generating legitimate buzz as a potential first-team All-SEC performer. His development trajectory puts him in rare company - you simply don't see many centers start from day one in the SEC and improve at this rate. At 6'3", 302 pounds with exceptional athleticism, Lew has the physical tools matched with technical proficiency that has NFL scouts already taking notice.

In this clip from CBS Sports, former NFL GM Ron Carthon was also most impressed by the fact that Lew is already this good as a teenager and growing, which could play a factor into the “bulking up” that he needs to do. Ryan Wilson compares him to Zach Frazier, a second round pick by the Steelers in 2024 who started 15 games and given exceptional marks for his first season.

If you’re thinking the logical thought of “Well, who cares? This Connor Lew guy is still in college and we’re months away from even considering this as a possibility, and that’s only if he declares”, that’s a fair pushback.

But in the scenario where the Seahawks do have an opportunity to draft Lew or a center prospect who turns out to be as good as what experts feel Lew will be in 2026, and do so between picks 20-60, wouldn’t that be an awesome solution to Seattle’s biggest mess?

Other centers:

• Parker Brailsford, Alabama (Played at UW with Michael Penix and followed Kalen DeBoer to Alabama)

• Jake Slaughter, Florida (Scheme versatile senior said to have “savant-level mental processing” for identifying defensive fronts but athletic enough to make a reach block)

• Logan Jones, Iowa (Will be compared to Tyler Linderbaum because he is coming out of Iowa and also moved from DT to C, even if he’s not going to be rated as highly; elite athleticism and “rare speed” which works for Klint Kubiak’s system)

• Bryce Foster, Kansas (At 330, Foster is the biggest of the bunch, but ranked #51 on the Feldman “Freaks List” he’s not lacking athleticism because of it; high ceiling, maybe low floor)

There you have five centers who might be in the conversation as day 1-2 picks in 2026 and I really want to emphasize that despite the potential for depth here, don’t make the mistake of thinking that “the Seahawks just need to wait and pull another Olu and hope for the best in the fifth round”.

That is an argument for a different article. It may be totally valid, but it is not the argument being made today. This is the argument that 20 years after drafting Chris Spencer and almost 10 years after drafting Ethan Pocic, maybe 2026 is the time to take an early swing at center again. What about guards?

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His name is literally 3 Zuhn 3

Trey Zuhn III, Texas A&M

Although he has only ever played left tackle in college, Zuhn was Brugler’s second-highest ranked guard prospect behind Alabama’s Jaeden Roberts because “scouts believe he has true five-position versatility”.

Well, that would be perfect for Seattle’s woes. It was also revealed days ago that Zuhn has been getting reps at center and could start there for the Aggies this season.

If the Seahawks had Zuhn, they could potentially start him at center on day one…or if they like their center, they could start him at guard…Seattle could even play Zuhn at left guard and Zabel at center…and there is the possibility that Zuhn would also be an insurance plan for Abraham Lucas at right tackle. And I have brought up the scenario that would make Charles Cross trade bait, something that could be even more sensible if the Seahawks had a true 5-position player on the offensive line.

That may not be as likely given Zuhn’s short arms (under 32”) and Brugler does use that as the reason for projecting him at guard in the NFL. Zuhn has “mid-round grades” according to Brugler, but notes that he is poised for his best season — perhaps even more so now that he’s moving to center — and that his character (“toughest player on the team”) and athleticism to bend and move in space will make him an NFL starter.

I get the sense that guards are not as highly respected in the 2026 class as centers, but it’s more common than ever that players are moved by NFL teams to fit something in the pros that they were not asked to do in college and Zabel would be one of many examples.

Other guards:

• Jaeden Roberts, Alabama (5th-year senior “jumps off the screen” in run blocking, but struggles going to the second level and has had to lose about 20-30 lbs in college)

• D.J. Campbell, Texas (Former 5-star recruit who tips scales over 340 lbs, but that may not make him best fit for Kubiak scheme and he’s work-in-progress in pass pro)

• Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon (Top-ranked 2026 guard prospect in more than one place, he has transferred twice and will start his Ducks career in 2025, his sixth college season)

• Ar’Maj Reed-Adams, Texas A&M (Zuhn teammate is “late bloomer” who transferred in 2024 after four seasons as Kansas, but lack of lateral quickness may scratch him off of Kubiak’s list)

Overall, the centers do seem to stand out better than the guards right now, which isn’t necessarily bad news for Seattle because center might be the more pressing issue on the Seahawks offensive line anyway. That’s why a player like Zuhn, who could play center or guard (and he might end up as a third round prospect), might be the best fit in this group. But upside-wise, the Seahawks would likely go for someone else.

In general, Connor Lew is the name out of all these prospects that Seattle Seahawks fans are almost certainly going to hear over and over again once we get to the 2026 offseason as the one they desperately want the most. Maybe it’s a name you heard here first.

Seaside Joe 2351