Interior offensive linemen the Seahawks should target in the 2020 NFL Draft

Ben Bredeson: Senior G, Michigan

Similar to his teammate Cesar Ruiz, Bredeson was awarded with PFF’s highest grade for pass blocking amongst guards this year. Bredeson allowed only 7 pressures over 451 snaps on the year. That again matches Cesar Ruiz with only 1.8% of the snaps he allowed a pressure.

Bredeson is not what you would consider the most athletic guard, however, he understands his strengths and weaknesses well enough to counter his weaknesses with strengths. He has a very strong football knowledge to bank off of and plays with great power. His hand placements are technically sound and precise. His footwork is careful and swift, helping him get set up before the defender gets to the point of attack. He isn’t a flashy player to watch, he is more of a jack-of-all-trades kind of player than an expert in any specific category.

His main draws pertain to balance and the lack of functional athleticism. He can overextend when engaging defenders at times which leads to the lack of balance. While he has been able to compensate for his lack of athleticism so far, the NFL is a completely different animal. One has to wonder if he will have the same success at the next level. He also was able to bank on Cesar Ruiz next to him in college. I’m slightly worried his success was caused by the great chemistry they had and may not translate with another pairing.

Bredeson’s game reminds me of a player that I was high on just 2 years ago in the draft process, Will Hernandez. Both players were absolute maulers. They both won at the point of attack with functional strength and a high football IQ. Both were amongst the most experienced guards in the country to enter the draft. Hernandez has had success thus far in his career and it would be hard to see Bredeson not doing the same.

If I was the Seahawks GM, I would not draft Bredeson without also drafting Ruiz. The two were dynamic last season together. To bring them both to the same squad would establish immediate chemistry on the interior of the line. It’s a risky move to bank on one squad, however, it has the potential to pay off big time.

Player comparison: Will Hernandez

Round projection: 4th round