Seattle Seahawks still have 2 critical position battles to settle in 2025

In year two under head coach Mike Macdonald, the Seattle Seahawks will be facing a lot of changes. Despite winning 10 games, Macdonald and general manager John Schneider decided to overhaul several positions. The most notable is at quarterback, where Sam Darnold takes over for Geno Smith.

Darnold was great for the Minnesota Vikings throughout much of the 2024 season, but struggled down the stretch. That was especially true when the offensive line failed to keep the pressure away from him. That's why Seattle made it a priority to upgrade their offensive line and select North Dakota State's Grey Zabel in the first round of the NFL draft.

Even with Zabel in place at left guard, there are questions surrounding the offensive line. That's why Pro Football Network's Jacob Infante looked to their O-line when selecting their biggest camp battle to watch in 2025. Infante says two spots are up for grabs as they need to find their long-term answer at center and right guard.

"Though Grey Zabel was a good addition for the Seattle Seahawks in the draft, their offensive line still has work to do. Two of the Seahawks’ starting interior OL spots remain up for grabs. Seattle doesn’t have a strong, proven starting center or right guard yet. The hope is that Olu Oluwatimi and Christian Haynes will step into those respective roles and improve. However, players like Jalen Sundell and Anthony Bradford could provide competition for those respective spots."— Infante, PFN

Keeping Darnold comfortable is going to be the only way Seattle finds success this season. That's why Infante is spot-on in his assessment. Oluwatimi and Haynes are the favorites at their respective positions and could be the key to their chances of making it to the playoffs this year.