Ted’s Talk: Predicting Anthony Bradford’s rookie season

After fleecing the Denver Broncos trading out of the third round with the Denver Broncos to recoup a 2024 third-round draft pick and the No. 108 overall pick in the fourth round, the Seahawks spent that newly acquired selection on OG Anthony Bradford from LSU. Offensive linemen may not always be the sexiest picks, but Bradford brings elite athleticism to the table and will have a chance to battle his way into a starting job with Seattle.

Athletic Profile/Comps

Relative Athletic Score (RAS)

Mockdraftable

Just look at some of those numbers. A 1.66 second 10-yard split at 332 lbs?? That’s absurd. He also has plenty of explosion as evidenced by his 30” vertical. And don’t discount 34 reps on the bench press which clearly shows strength along with the endurance needed to pump out that many reps.

Now, all those testing numbers are cool, but can he play?

That’s a good start. One of the main negatives of Bradford is his inexperience as he only started 17 games at LSU, though he appeared in 29 games in his college career. He was also shuffled around a bit, starting at three different positions including tackle when John Schneider personally attended one of his games. No question about his fit in Seattle, though, as he slots in at RG to directly compete with Phil Haynes. Actually, Haynes isn’t a bad comparison for Bradford.

They’re both extremely strong and athletic…seems like the Seahawks have a type. Maybe you already noticed the even more exciting comp – Seahawks legend and current OL consultant Steve Hutchinson. I get it, there’s a very low likelihood that Bradford ends up as even half the player Hutch was. Still, he’s got a similar athletic profile which is a good baseline to start with. Let’s hope for no poison pill down the line with Bradford.

Gut reaction to the pick

At this point, I was happy with Seattle adding some beef to the trenches with both Haynes and Damien Lewis facing impending free agency after the 2023 season. Then, I found out how athletic Bradford was and was even more intrigued. And THEN, I saw some clips of him and was fully on board.

Bradford is a big dude who can bury defenders when he locks them up. Check out the video below and notice who he dumps in the very first play.

Yeah, that’s Jalen Carter. That entire video is fun to watch because Bradford just likes to hit guys. The second-to-last clip is especially encouraging because it shows his athleticism in action as he pulls across the line and blows the defender out of the play. As a fourth-round pick, the expectations placed on Bradford won’t be through the roof, but these athletic freaks – who can also play – are the kinds of players that I’m all for adding to the competition.

Rookie season prediction

Bradford will likely begin training camp as the second-team RG behind incumbent Phil Haynes. Seattle only gave Haynes a one-year deal in the offseason, so it’s not as if he has the starting RG spot locked up. He’s also been limited by injuries in the past which is part of the reason the Seahawks drafted Bradford for competition in the first place. Because of this, I do think it’s more likely than not that Bradford starts at some point this season whether it’s due to injury or him outperforming Haynes. Seattle is looking for a long-term answer at RG and would likely lean towards a young player like Bradford all other things being equal. I’ll guess that Bradford starts at least 5 games at RG this season – and finishes the season as the starter whether Haynes is available or not.