All things considered, the Seattle Seahawks have done an excellent job in the NFL draft over the years. Their first three draft classes (2010-2012) are probably the best run any team has ever had in the draft - and the above-average results they've managed since have helped keep them competitive in the long run, if not a contender.
All along there's been one big Achilles heel, though. With the very first pick in the Schneider/Pete Carroll era they took left tackle Russell Okung, who went on to play 11 years and made two Pro Bowl teams along the way. Since then the Seahawks have drafted 24 different offensive linemen - and exactly none of them have made a Pro Bowl.
Truth be told, Okung was a fringe Pro Bowler at best - so the Seahawks haven't had a legitimate star for this unit ever since WalterJones played his final year back in 2008.
Expecting to draft a Walter Jones every year wouldn't be fair - but it is accurate to say that Seattle has had worse results than any other team when it comes to drafting (and developing) offensive linemen over the last 15 years. That's a long time to struggle with any one position group - and it sounds like Schneider is getting annoyed with all the critcism that's coming with it.
Speaking with reporters earlier this week at his pre-draft press conference, Schneider said that Seattle's offensive line need is a "lazy narrative" because every team needs OL help in every draft.
While Schneider is right that every team needs to draft offensive linemen every year, there's also only one team that has the worst interior offensive in the league right now.
There's good news on that front, though - according to Dianna Russini at the Athletic, this draft class features a lot of high-end iOL talent, and teams who are needy in this department could be able to double up on strong prospects.
That's exactly what the Seahawks should be looking to do - and while they don't need to force an OL pick in the first round, the earlier they address this glaring need the better. Their left guard situation is thinner than any other team, their projected starting center isn't a great fit for their new scheme and they tried four different right guards last year, and all of them failed miserably.
While they're at it, the Seahawks also can't really bank on having their starting right tackle play more than half a season due to Abe Lucas' ongoing knee pain issue.
Add it up and you can make a very strong case that the Seahawks have the worst offensive line in the NFL - and whichever team has the second worst is pretty far ahead.
If Schneider can't buck the historical trend of bad OL picks for this franchise in this draft and the next it'll be time for the Seahawks to try to find a different GM who has a track record of success in this department.
