Seahawks' interior offensive line could fly under the radar

CBS Sports has made some outlandish predictions in recent years which, to a limited extent, have come through to fruition. They like to pick and choose which players will fly under the radar and have good seasons.

They predicted in 2023 that Baker Mayfield would be nothing but a bridge quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2023. They were right about him having a good season with Tampa Bay, but he became much more than a bridge. After the season he signed a long-term deal.  

Sam Darnold exceeded expectations last season until the last few games of the season and the playoffs. He was definitely not the same quarterback he was when he was with the New York Jets, Carolina Panthers and the San Francisco 49ers. After one good year in Minnesota, Darnold signed for the king's ransom in Seattle.

Other 2024 successes included Cam Jurgens stepping in seamlessly for the retired Jason Kelce at center for the Philadelphia Eagles.

Now we turn the page to 2025 and two Seattle Seahawks are expected to fly under the radar and have better seasons than originally projected, according to CBS Sports.

Those two players are center Olu Oluwatimi and right guard Christian Haynes.

"Seattle had one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL last year and is counting on Oluwatimi and Haynes to take big steps in their third and second years, respectively," said Zachary Pereles of CBS Sports. "Oluwatimi started seeing action later in the year and had some moments, while Haynes really didn't play much. That they're protecting Darnold -- who needs good protection -- makes them even more crucial."

To further bolster the offensive line, the Seahawks drafted Gray Zabel in the 2025 NFL Draft. He is anticipated to take over the left guard spot and give Seattle a completely rebuilt interior offensive line.

Whether Haynes and Oluwatimi can step up and perform as expected is still to be seen. However, if they do produce the line could be intact for the next four or five seasons. They should be able to adequately protect Darnold and open holes for the explosive ground game.