It is no secret that the Seattle Seahawks' most consistent issue over the last decade is the poor offensive line play. While general manager John Schneider has been accused of not addressing the problem, Seattle has drafted nearly as many offensive linemen as any other team in the last 10 years.
Part of the issue is that many of those linemen have not come high in the draft, as most have been middle-round selections. That has changed some since 2022, though. Left tackle Charles Cross was a first-round pick that year, and right tackle Abraham Lucas was a third-round choice.
Seattle chose presumed left guard Grey Zabel in the first round this year. For the first time in some time, the Seahawks will have two first-round draft choices starting on their offensive line.
Abraham Lucas is saying all the right things at Seahawks OTAs
What should make the O-line even better is if Lucas can finally stay healthy. In the past two seasons, he has appeared in only 13 of a possible 34 games and did not play more than seven games in either year. In 2024, Lucas did not appear at all until Week 11 after having offseason knee surgery.
This season is looking different. The right tackle is taking part in drills in organized team activities (OTAs) and could play if Week 1 were this week. He has great size at 6'6" and 320 pounds and the kind of tenacious attitude that will augment the offensive line's efficiency. Unlike the technically brilliant, but quieter, Cross, Lucas has the bully mentality the line needs.
But Lucas is also a very good player when healthy. As a rookie, he received solid grades as a pass protector and run-blocker from Pro Football Focus (subscription required). He allowed 10 sacks, but the expectation was that number would be less in future years as Lucas gained more experience.
An issue is that he hasn't gained a lot of experience because he hasn't been available to play after his rookie season. Until now.
Speaking with the media this week, Lucas put to ease any concerns about where he is physically now. He said, "I’m playing – that’s a good sign."
When asked about this year compared to last, Lucas added, "Night and day. It helps when you’re not in a brace and you can actually walk without crutches. You guys have seen, I post on social media me lifting, and it sends everybody into a frenzy, which I think is kind of funny. But I’m doing good work, so I’m excited about it."
Likely, so are Seahawks fans everywhere. While the O-line isn't getting a lot of love from national pundits, if Lucas is available for games, the line will feature Cross, Zabel, and Lucas. If Olu Oluwatimi can take advantage of his first real chance to be the starter at center and play quality football, the only real concern is right guard.
That would be a lot better than last season when every spot but left tackle was a problem.
Lucas also has another reason to be great in 2025. It will be the last year of his rookie deal, and if he can prove he can stay healthy and play well, he could earn a big new contract. If he can't, he might have issues finding a place to play in 2026.