Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle DJ Reader (98) looks to tackle Seattle Seahawks running back Kenneth Walker III (9) in the second quarter during an NFL football game between the Seattle Seahawks and the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, at Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. Kareem Elgazzar/The Enquirer / USA TODAY NETWORK

Seahawks erase Round 1 offensive line whiff in 2016 redraft

Originally posted on Seattle Seahawks on SI
By Connor Benintendi | Last updated Jul 15, 2025 8:40 PM ET

The Seattle Seahawks made just four selections in the first round of the NFL Draft from 2013-21, and none of those four are still with the team heading into 2025. They weren't exactly good picks, either, as that group has combined for zero Pro Bowl nods and zero All-Pro team selections. It was a regrettable near-decade of early picks for a franchise that was at the height of its power in 2013.

In 2016, the Seahawks traded down from No. 26 to No. 31, selecting offensive lineman Germain Ifedi out of Texas A&M. Ifedi played four seasons in Seattle and made 60 starts at both right guard and right tackle. However, he left in free agency before the 2020 season. Pro Football Focus produced a 2016 redraft with 20/20 hindsight, and it has the Seahawks flipping to the other side of the trenches.

Sticking at pick No. 26, PFF writers Max Chadwick, Dalton Wasserman and Trevor Sikkema had the Seahawks select defensive tackle DJ Reader instead of Ifedi. Reader, who was drafted in the fifth round by the Houston Texans, has had a strong career that punches way above his draft position. In nine NFL seasons, Reader has totaled 300 tackles, 27 tackles for loss, 12.5 sacks and nine batted passes.

Although he's never made a Pro Bowl or All-Pro team, Reader has been a consistent, quality defensive lineman for three different NFL teams and still played more than 500 snaps for the Detroit Lions in 2024 at 30 years old. Ifedi was out of the NFL in 2023 before being picked up by the Cleveland Browns last season, where he started seven games.

Reader would have bolstered a defensive line that was aging in 2016, but they were also attempting to rebuild their offensive line at the time. Ifedi was a reasonable player to take a swing on, even if it didn't work out long term. That said, Seattle is still working to get that offensive line in full working order since trading center Max Unger to the New Orleans Saints in 2015.

The Seahawks have made strides on both sides of the trenches in recent years. Defensive tackle Byron Murphy II appears to be primed for a big second season after being the No. 16 overall pick in 2024. Charles Cross and Abraham Lucas are bolstering the offensive tackle spots, while 2025 No. 18 pick Grey Zabel will take over starting left guard duties this season.

While each position group is trending up, it's happening almost a decade after Ifedi and Reader were drafted. Reader would've made a bigger impact right after being drafted.

This article first appeared on Seattle Seahawks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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