Would John Schneider take a guard with his first-round draft pick this year? No college guard was selected in the first round of the 2024 or 2023 drafts. The last time it happened was in 2022 when Houston chose Kenyon Green, a player who has struggled mightily during his three seasons. Guard is not often considered a first-round position.
That does not mean teams don’t find guards in the first round. It has become fairly common for college tackles to shift inside when they reach the NFL. Often, that move is made simply because the player’s arms are a half-inch short of standard. Sometimes, it’s because they don’t have the lateral agility to hold up against elite speed rushers. Whatever the reason, you may find the answer to your guard problem in the first round, even if you do not select a guard.
Let’s assume for now that Schneider is not inclined to spend that premium pick on an offensive lineman. He does have other significant needs at higher-profile positions like wide receiver and edge rusher. In 2024, he spent three draft picks on linemen – a third-rounder on guard Christian Haynes – and as of now, none has looked very good. Perhaps this season he will dip back into free agency. That’s how he added veteran Laken Tomlinson at left guard last year.
Seattle Seahawks could steal these offensive linemen from the San Francisco 49ers in free agency
Tomlinson is a pending free agent, and none of the three players who took snaps at right guard in 2024 was particularly impressive, so it seems likely that the Hawks GM will be looking for options through free agency again this offseason.
With minimal cap room, it won’t be easy, but fortunately, Schneider does have one fairly promising resource available. The San Francisco 49ers have a lot of free agents and several of them might be good fits along the Seahawks' offensive line. These are not elite-level players, which is probably a good thing. Seattle can’t really afford to splurge. But any of these linemen could help improve on the Seahawks' biggest weakness in 2024.
Signing a player from San Francisco has extra appeal. The chance to weaken a division rival while bettering yourself is always good. What’s more, new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak spent the 2023 season as pass game coordinator in San Fran. He should have particularly keen insight into which 49er linemen would be worth an offer.
I have already written about two of these players, so I’ll just briefly restate their qualifications before throwing a new name into the mix.
Aaron Banks has started 43 games at left guard for San Francisco over the past three seasons. The second-round pick out of Notre Dame is 27 and should be entering his prime. That lofty draft position has left a lot of 49ers fans feeling that Banks has been a disappointment. He has not played at an elite level, but he has been steady. This might be a case of “one man’s trash…” because Aaron Banks would be an instant upgrade for the Seahawks the moment he steps onto the field.
Some Niners’ fans believe Ben Bartch should have been playing ahead of Banks. He’s a year younger than Banks and has been a backup since being claimed by San Fran during the 2023 season. Before that, he had been an occasional starter with Jacksonville, the team that chose him in the 4th-round of the 2020 draft. Bartch has looked good in limited work with San Francisco and should be competing for a starting spot with whichever team signs him for the ’25 season.
The new name to consider today is Jaylon Moore. To the best of my knowledge, Moore has never played guard in either the pros or in college at Western Michigan. He has always been a tackle. It’s actually somewhat surprising in this day and age that the 27-year-old was not moved inside when he entered the league. He is 6’4” and has 33 3/8” arms. That is a massive frame by any standard – unless you are an NFL offensive tackle.
Player personnel types have identified 34” as the minimum arm length for a successful tackle. There are a great many players who have excelled with shorter arms, but the number still serves as a benchmark.
When the Washington Commanders chose Brandon Scherff, who had excelled at tackle at Iowa in college, with the fifth overall pick in the 2015 draft, arm length was one of the reasons given for why he was moved to guard. Scherff’s arms measured the exact same size as Moore’s. In fact, physically, the two players are virtually identical.
That by no means is proof that Moore can produce at guard as the five-time Pro Bowler Scherff has done, but there have been plenty of other tackles who have made this transition successfully. The Eagles offensive line was bolstered this season by the arrival of Mekhi Becton – a failed tackle – who played guard for the Super Bowl champs.
Whether or not Moore can make this type of transition is unknown. But of all the people venturing a guess, Kubiak should have more insight than most. San Francisco has a lot of pending free agents this offseason. Most of the big names are on the defensive side of the ball. They will not be able to re-sign all of them. Whether Schneider eventually drafts a new guard or not, he should target one of the modestly-priced options likely to depart San Francisco this offseason and make an offer.