The Seattle Seahawks are a lucky team in many ways. As much disrespect as they get from the national media because they traded wide receiver DK Metcalf and quarterback Geno Smith this offseason, the team doesn't have too many roster battles to figure out. Seattle has a good team, no matter what those other ones think.
Still, certain things need to work out well. New QB1 Sam Darnold must play well. The offensive line has to be much better. Specifically, right guard and center have to be more than mediocre.
Rookie left guard Grey Zabel is likely going to make left guard a strength for years to come. While some seem to think he didn't do well in Seattle's first preseason game, Zabel didn't allow a pass pressure in 20 pass-block snaps and was excellent in blocking for the run, too.
Jalen Sundell should have the Seattle Seahawks starting center spot sewn up
But Seahawks fans already knew that Zabel was going to start. The questions were who was going to start at center and right guard? As for center, with his play against the Las Vegas Raiders in preseason Week 1, Jalen Sundell should have that spot locked down even when Olu Oluwatimi returns from a minor injury.
Sundell has been battling Oluwatimi for the starting center spot all through training camp. That Oluwatimi did not do enough to prove to the Seahawks coaches last season that the gig should be his says quite a lot about the team's belief in him.
Not that Oluwatimi is a terrible player because he isn't. Sundell is showing to be better, and he might make more sense to start for a completely different reason than how many pressures he allows.
But those pressures allowed are important. Due to injuries in 2024, Jalen Sundell was forced into playing a lot against a good Green Bay Packers team in Week 15. He didn't allow a pressure, and was good at opening holes for the run, too. Then, Sundell went back to the bench in Week 16.
Against the Las Vegas Raiders, Sundell once again allowed no pressures, even though the Raiders began the game with a lot of their starters on the field. Sundell's success is very bad for Oluwatimi, and Sundell has shown he can excel at all facets of the game in extremely limited time.
The other aspect not related to direct pressure numbers is that the center played next to rookie Zabel while both were at North Dakota State. Offensive lines need cohesion, and what better way to rapidly build cohesion than to pair players who played together in college? If Sundell and Oluwatimi are at all close in the starting center spot, Sundell should still have the lead.
But after preseason Week 1 against the Raiders and Jalen Sundell's great play, no doubts should remain. He should have the Seattle Seahawks starting center role locked up. He has earned that.