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It was last May that Seattle Seahawks left tackle Duane Brown stated that he felt the Hawks line had the potential to be the best offensive line group in the NFL in 2019. Unfortunately for Seahawks fans, that prediction did not prove to be very accurate, as the unit battled a flurry of injuries that led to a long season of struggles for the group.
The rash of injuries to the line saw four of five opening day starters miss time during the season, with two, Ethan Pocic and Justin Britt, finishing the season on injured reserve. In addition to those two, however, D.J. Fluker missed time with a hamstring injury, Mike Iupati battled a series of injuries through the year, Duane Brown fought through a biceps strain and a mensicus injury, Jamarco Jones had a shoulder issue during the season and left the playoff game against Green Bay with a head injury and Joey Hunt played through a stress fracture in his leg.
All of that contributed to a group that underperformed relative the hopes and expectations of fans heading into the 2019 season, and with the season over, we can now recap where the unit finished the year.
Football Outsiders
Run Blocking: 15th (Down from 12th in 2018)
Pass Blocking: 24th (Up from 30th in 2018)
PFF
Pass Blocking Efficiency: 25th (Down from 19th in 2018)
Pass Blocking Grade: 30th (Down from 18th in 2018)
Run Blocking Grade: 14th (Down from 6th after Week 6)
As for how PFF graded the various players, here are the rankings of where each of the offensive linemen who played at least 250 snaps for the Seahawks graded out relative to the 214 offensive linemen across the NFL who logged at least 250 snaps.
- Duane Brown: 40T (out of 214)
- Justin Britt: 127
- George Fant: 133
- Mike Iupati: 135
- D.J. Fluker: 144
- Germain Ifedi: 150
- Joey Hunt: 180
- Jamarco Jones: 198
PBWR
The Seahawks finished 28th in ESPN’s Pass Blocking Win Rate for 2019, a significant drop from the team’s 8th place finish in 2018 (and 11th place finish in 2017).
So, the offensive line wasn’t pretty for most of the 2019 season, and between free agency, injuries and age, there is the potential for significant turnover between now and the start of training camp. Field Gulls will be here all offseason to keep fans updated on the decisions the team makes at these positions.