Seahawks believe Gilliam best option at LT, and they may be right

By Dan Viens | Apr 13, 2016

Jan 3, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Garry Gilliam (79) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

The Seahawks move of Garry Gilliam to left tackle may not just be one made out of desperation. It may also be the right move.

For months now we’ve been focusing on the plight of the Seahawks offensive line, first in free agency and now in the days and weeks leading up to the NFL Draft that kicks off April 28th in Chicago.

As Seahawks fans we all know that the key to any championship aspirations the 2016 Hawks may have is contingent upon vast improvement being made up front on offense. And the team knows it too. We heard GM John Schneider and head coach Pete Carroll say at season’s end that they needed to get “tougher” up front, and that the position group would be a point of emphasis this offseason. Then we saw two starters leave in free agency; guard J.R. Sweezy and left tackle Russell Okung.

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It was Okung’s departure that had most fans wringing their hands, particularly when there wasn’t a splashy corresponding move. Instead, Carroll announced that Garry Gilliam would be moving from the right side to the left. Still, most fans, analysts and mock drafters are focused on projecting left tackle candidates to Seattle with their top pick this year, #26 overall.

But Gilliam actually makes more sense, for at least two reasons:

He’s been in Tom Cable’s zone blocking system for two years now, and for the entirety of his rookie season he was actually being groomed at left tackle before the sudden flip-flop last year.
He might just be a better all-around prospect from an athletic standpoint than the other top LT candidates available to the Seahawks in the draft.

Based on Gilliam’s testing numbers in 2014, before Seattle signed him as an undrafted free agent, Gilliam would be one of the top overall tackle prospects in this year draft, from a purely athletic standpoint…..and we know how much the Seahawks value explosive athletes at every position. Gilliam ran a 4.93 40 yard dash, with a 9’5″ broad jump, a 7.59 in the 3-cone agility drill, and an incredible 35 inch vertical jump.

How does that compare to the top prospects most commonly connected with the Seahawks in this draft class? Indiana’s Jason Spriggs is widely regarded as the most athletic tackle this year. Here’s how his rankings in the combine would have compared to Gilliam head-to-head:

40: Gilliam 1st, Spriggs 2nd
Broad Jump: Gilliam 2nd, Spriggs 1st
Vertical: Gilliam 1st, Spriggs 4th
3-cone: Gilliam 9th, Spriggs 14th
Bench (225 lbs): Gilliam 15th, Spriggs 4th
Average Ranking: Gilliam 5.6, Spriggs 5th

Obviously the big difference is on the bench press, where Gilliam only managed 19 reps at 225 pounds. But that was two years ago, just one season removed from being a tight end. Judging from pictures Gilliam has posted of his offseason workouts, he looks noticeably bigger in his upper body.

"Off season gains. Shhhh just wait on it"

Clearly, he could put up a much better number today than he did two year ago.

What does this all mean? That Gilliam possesses the athletic makeup to make him an intriguing candidate to man the left side. Obviously, he will have to take a step forward in technique, and translate that into on-field production, but his intense and unique workouts this winter and spring appear to be tailored to help him do just that.

"Workin a little Left Tackle"

One final note about this comparison; it also points out very clearly that Spriggs could be a big-time Seahawks target in a couple weeks. Mock drafts have him going anywhere from #20 to the second round. Imagine if the Seahawks could pair two supremely athletic tackles like Gilliam and Spriggs as bookends for the long-term.

Next: Seahawks 7 round mock draft

It could happen.

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