Seahawks roster: Can Stone Forsythe earn the starting right tackle job?

The Seattle Seahawks only had a few selections in the 2021 NFL Draft, and they made the most of them. Adding another playmaker and a slot guy for their secondary were nice picks, and then they got great value in Florida tackle Stone Forsythe in the sixth round. The Seahawks roster is getting better, and surprisingly, this is the best their offensive line has been in quite some time.

Duane Brown has been excellent at left tackle since Seattle acquired him from the Houston Texans via trade. Second year guard Damien Lewis looks to build on a promising rookie campaign. The Seahawks also signed Gabe Jackson after he was released by the Raiders in the offseason. Suddenly, this group isn’t half bad. However, there isn’t much depth.

Could Forsythe crack the starting lineup in what is a bare Seahawks roster in terms of depth on the offensive line?

Right now, Brandon Shell is listed as the Seahawks starter at right tackle. Shell started 11 games for the Seahawks last year and then went down with an injury and ultimately ended up on the COVID list. Cedric Ogbuehi entered and started four games down the stretch before postseason play.

Head coach Pete Carroll hasn’t said much about who has the starting job ahead of training camp in a couple weeks, so it could be an open competition for the starting spot. This is where Forsythe comes in.

It will likely be an uphill battle for Forsythe to crack the starting spot as a rookie, but with his talent as a pass protector, there is a chance. Forsythe’s stock skyrocketed late in the process among draft analysts, but he still fell late into day three. He’s rock solid with his hand placement and strength in pass protection, and has the reputation as the guy who shut down Azeez Ojulari, one of the better pass rushers in the draft class.

Maintaining leverage for Russell Wilson, who loves to scramble and buy time, will be important for whoever wins the starting spot. There’s no reason that Forsythe can’t be the guy on the Seahawks roster who takes the position if he has a strong camp, especially with his intriguing skill set.