EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSEATTLE -- The Seattle Seahawks' offensive line has gone from a perennial question mark to an emerging strength. The reigning Super Bowl LX champions returned virtually everyone from that group this offseason while adding competition at its lone soft spot, right guard.Between the expected improvement from young players and the continuity they'll enjoy after keeping the group together, a line that was good in 2025 has a chance to be better in 2026.It needs to be.Because here comes Myles Garrett.The reigning AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year and 2025 sack leader (23) is on his way to the NFC West after the Los Angeles Rams acquired him from the Cleveland Browns on Monday for Pro Bowl edge rusher Jared Verse, a 2027 first-round pick plus second- and third-round selections in 2028 and '29, respectively.Garrett's arrival in the division invites an examination of the Seahawks' offensive line now that it will have to face the league's most dominant defensive lineman at least twice a season.That unit has come a long way from the days when it was a yearslong point of contention behind the scenes with former quarterback Russell Wilson and a constant source of hand-wringing among fans.The Seahawks have spent high draft picks to beef it up, including first-round selections on left tackle Charles Cross (2022) and left guard Grey Zabel (2025). They've spent big money to keep the group together, extending right tackle Abraham Lucas (three years, $46 million) last summer and Cross (four years, $104.4 million) in January.Those three anchored an offensive line that finished the 2025 regular season eighth in run block win rate (72.8%) and 12th in pass block win rate (64.8%). It was one of the NFL's youngest starting lines, with a rookie in Zabel, a second-year center in Jalen Sundell, a third-year right guard in Anthony Bradford, and fourth-year tackles in Cross and Lucas.Seattle's depth was strong enough to absorb injuries that sidelined Sundell for four games and Cross for three. Josh Jones, who filled in well for Cross while playing through injuries of his own, was re-signed at a team-friendly cost of $4 million for one season. Olu Oluwatimi -- who capably stepped in for Sundell -- remains in the mix, though he's a candidate to be traded.General manager John Schneider has repeatedly talked about the importance of continuity for an offensive line, something he saw firsthand for years in Green Bay as he was coming up in the Packers front office. Seattle is building it.For now, all 11 of the offensive linemen who played at least one snap for the Seahawks last season are back, as are two others who were on their practice squad. Equally as significant: O-line coach John Benton is back too; his name had been floated as an assistant who might follow Klint Kubiak to Las Vegas after Seattle's offensive coordinator was hired as the Raiders' head coach.The one addition Seattle made to that group was guard Beau Stephens, whom they had rated higher than his fifth-round draft slot. Bradford may still be the favorite to start on the right side, but Stephens should push him for the job.Even with that question mark, the Seahawks might have the best offensive line they've fielded in recent memory -- just in time for Garrett to join one of their NFC West rivals.In 2025, Garrett set an NFL record with 23 sacks, won his second NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, was voted first-team All-Pro for the fifth straight year and made the Pro Bowl for the seventh time in nine seasons since entering the league as the first overall pick in 2017. He has the third-highest pass rush win rate among edge defenders (25.8%) in that span.It was not immediately clear how much, if at all, Schneider and the Seahawks were involved in trade talks for Garrett. Draft capital wouldn't have kept them out of it. Seattle is projected to have 12 selections in 2027, including an extra third-round pick as compensation for the Minnesota Vikings hiring Nolan Teasley as general manager.The Seahawks -- who attempted to trade for another high-priced star edge rusher, Maxx Crosby, 15 months ago -- could have easily absorbed Garrett's upcoming cap charges. However, the $70-plus-million in guaranteed cash he's due over the next two seasons could have been harder to fit into their budget given their recent megadeal with wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the one they're trying to get done with cornerback Devon Witherspoon and a potential extension for quarterback Sam Darnold next offseason.What is clear is that Garrett joining the Rams is another potential roadblock for the Seahawks as they try to become only the third franchise this century to repeat as Super Bowl champions.The two teams could not have appeared more evenly matched last year. They split their regular-season series, with the two games decided by a combined three points, before Seattle won another nail-biter for the NFC championship.According to ESPN Research, the Seahawks were +1000 to win Super Bowl LXI at DraftKings Sportsbook entering Monday. That was tied for the second-shortest odds along with the Baltimore Ravens and Buffalo Bills behind the Rams at +800. After the Garrett trade, those odds moved to +600 for the Rams and +1100 for Seattle, which is now behind Baltimore and Buffalo (still at +1000).Seattle won't be disappointed that Verse is heading to Cleveland in the trade. The 2024 AP Defensive Rookie of the Year has made the Pro Bowl in each of his first two seasons. He has 2.5 sacks in five games against the Seahawks.But now they'll have to deal with Garrett, who will provide the biggest challenge imaginable for their up-and-coming offensive line.
