It's not difficult to see where the Seattle Seahawks' greatest need is. As general manager John Schneider admitted in his recent appearance on Seattle Sports radio, the team has to get better at finding and developing offensive linemen. Most teams would look to improve that unit through the NFL draft. However, the Seahawks have failed to identify quality prospects time and time again in recent years, and they'd be better served to try to fill this need in free agency.
The right guard situation is a great example of the problem. In each of the last two draft classes Seattle has picked a right guard - LSU's Anthony Bradford in 2023 and UConn's Christian Haynes in 2024 - and in both cases they have underperformed even for the reasonably low expectations for an NFL rookie.
This time around the Seahawks could fill that hole by signing somebody who's proven he can ball out at this level. According to Matt Johnson at Sportsnaut, they should make Philadelphia Eagles right guard Mekhi Becton their top target in free agency.
Sportsnaut on Seahawks - Mekhi Becton
"For the sake of Geno Smith and the functionality of this offensive, the Seattle Seahawks offensive line needs to be addressed. Mekhi Becton might want another chance to play offensive tackle, but he did seem to find a home this past season at guard. Becton would be a potential monumental upgrade at right guard for Seattle, helping this team both in pass protection and as a run blocker. If needed, he could even kick out to right tackle. What matters is just improving in the trenches."
Becton (6-foot-7, 363 pounds) would be a tackle for most teams - and could be for the Seahawks if Abe Lucas can't manage to stay on the field due to his chronic knee issue. Philly put him to great use as a guard though, where his size and power overwhelms practically every interior defensive lineman he comes across.
Becton has just the right mix of youth and experience, coming in at 25 years old with five years under his belt in the NFL. This past season he posted a strong 74.7 grade in run blocking and a decent 63.6 in pass blocking, resulting in a 75.2 overall grade that ranked 21st among all guards.
The only obstacle here is the cost - Becton is likely to cash in with another team in free agency - assuming the Eagles don't want to pay for a long-term deal. If the Seahawks are interested, they certainly won't be the only team to call his agent.
Schneider may believe that guards are overdrafted and overpaid, but that philosophy has put a low ceiling on how well this offense has performed for far too long. Winning isn't cheap and the Seahawks shouldn't hesitiate to give Becton an appropriately heavy bag in free agency.
