Seahawks Free Agency: 6 Targets to Upgrade Guard Positions
A four-year starter for the Kansas City Chiefs, Trey Smith will be coveted on the free agent market and could push for $20 million or more per year.
Steering towards the annual NFL combine in Indianapolis, the Seattle Seahawks and all 32 teams will soon be ramping up negotiations behind the scenes in preparation for free agency, which will officially open on March 12 with the start of the legal tampering period.
Standing out as one of Seattle’s most pressing needs, guard remains a position of significant concern for general manager John Schneider to once again try to address this offseason. Despite using extensive draft capital in recent seasons to draft players such as Anthony Bradford and Christian Haynes, the guard group as a whole struggled mightily last season, combining to allow 16 sacks and 95 pressures on Geno Smith while committing 21 total penalties.
Last spring, Schneider drew criticism for his public comments calling guards “overpaid and overdrafted,” but could disappointing on-field results from last season could be enough to potentially alter his philosophy moving forward?
Digging into an impressive group of guards set to hit the market next month, here are six free agent targets who could be on the radar for the Seahawks as they pursue upgrades for the interior of their maligned offensive line with contract projections courtesy of Spotrac:
Trey Smith, Kansas City Chiefs
Spotrac Market Value Projection: 4 years, $78,824,916
Starring at Tennessee, Smith earned First-Team All-SEC honors each of his final two seasons with the Volunteers, performing like a surefire first-round pick. However, a history of blood clots in his lungs concerned teams and led to him free falling to the sixth round, allowing the Chiefs to pull off a late day three heist. Installed as a starter on day one, he has started 67 games in four seasons for Kansas City, earning his first Pro Bowl nod in 2024 as he helped lead the team to a third consecutive Super Bowl berth.
Built like a tackle at 6-6, 321 pounds with long 33 5/8-inch arms, Smith excels utilizing his length and plus-athleticism in a phone booth as both a pass protector and run blocker. Gradually improving his pass blocking numbers over four NFL seasons, he allowed a career-low one sack in 2024 with a 97.7 percent pass block efficiency rating. Possessing excellent lateral quickness for his position, he has also been an elite blocker on zone concepts, including finishing second in the NFL with an 81.5 grade from Pro Football Focus on zone runs.
Only 25 years old and still yet to reach his ceiling, Smith’s age, upside, and wealth of playoff experiences will make him the crown jewel of a deep guard free agent class and he will cost more than a pretty penny to sign, potentially pushing for north of $20 million per year. The Seahawks have never been willing to spend that kind of money on the offensive line, but if there was a time Schneider could buck that trend, this would be the game-changing blocker to break the bank for.
Teven Jenkins, Chicago Bears
Spotrac Market Value Projection: 3 years, $31,039,296
After excelling as a tackle at Oklahoma State, the Bears initially tabbed Jenkins as their new blindside protector by investing a second-round pick in him four years ago. But injuries derailed his rookie season and he allowed two sacks on just 117 pass blocking snaps, leading to the team transitioning him to guard in 2022.Though durability continued to be an issue over the past three years with him missing 12 regular season games due to injury, he elevated his game after sliding inside, posting at least a 97.4 percent pass blocking efficiency rate each season in that span.
Due to his prior background as a tackle, the 6-6, 321-pound Jenkins has light feet for a guard, allowing him to mirror well against even the most athletic defensive tackles in the league. His mobility also has been beneficial in the zone blocking game, including finishing with a respectable 70.5 grade on zone concepts last season, as well as getting downfield on screens. He has had some trouble setting an anchor against power as a pass protector with a top-heavy build and leaner lower body, but he demonstrated marked improvement in that area in 2024.
Roughly a year older than Smith, Jenkins should stand out as a cheaper alternative with plenty of untapped potential, particularly for teams coveting athleticism and smarts at the guard spots. His previous injury history may put a hard cap on his contract offers, but that could make him even more appealing for the Seahawks as a buy low, win big candidate.
Mekhi Becton, Philadelphia Eagles
Spotrac Market Value Projection: 4 years, $40,931,244
A rapid riser in the 2020 NFL Draft coming out of Louisville, the Jets took a shot on the 6-7, 363-pound Becton with the 11th overall selection, and he flashed promise as a rookie despite allowing seven sacks at the left tackle position. But injuries limited him to just one game over the next two seasons and upon his return, he yielded a whopping 12 sacks and 50 pressures seeing action at both tackle positions in 2023, leading to New York allowing him to walk in free agency.
Enjoying one heck of a rebirth in Philadelphia, Becton joined the Eagles and moved inside to guard, becoming the latest reclamation project to turn his career around under the coaching of Jeff Stoutland. Starting 15 games for the eventual Super Bowl champs, while he did surrender 34 pressures and five sacks in pass protection, he excelled moving bodies off the line of scrimmage as a run blocker, playing a crucial role in running back Saquon Barkley setting a new record for combined rushing yards in the regular season and playoffs. Showing off his nimble footwork, he graded out with a fantastic 78.7 zone blocking grade from PFF as well, making him a well-rounded fit for multiple schemes.
Like Jenkins, Becton’s previous problems staying healthy may spook some teams away from throwing too much money at him in free agency. But he’s only 25 years old and his rare athleticism at his size coupled with a nasty mean streak would be a welcome addition to Seattle’s line. Working with Benton, who coached him previously in New York, would be a natural fit to continue his career renaissance in the Pacific Northwest.
Aaron Banks, San Francisco 49ers
Spotrac Market Value Projection: 3 years, $29,148,306
Coming out of Notre Dame, Banks’ NFL career got off to a slow start with him playing just five offensive snaps as a rookie for the 49ers, casting early questions about his viability as a long-term starter. But he jumped into the starting lineup the following season and performed well, yielding just two sacks on over 600 pass blocking snaps, and he didn’t give up a single sack on Brock Purdy in 2023, emerging as one of the most improved linemen in the league.
Though Banks ended up missing four games due to injury last season, he turned in another fine season in pass protection, posting a career-best 97.1 percent pass block efficiency rate and allowing only 25 pressures and one sack. A quality athlete at 325 pounds, PFF also graded him favorably as a zone blocker in Kyle Shanahan’s system, which greatly resembles the one Kubiak has deployed as an offensive coordinator, posting a 69.4 zone blocking grade.
A bit older than Smith or Becton, Banks has been a rock solid starter but hasn’t been great or elite either. With teams likely throwing more money at the aforementioned players headlining a talented guard class, the Seahawks could pounce to sign him to a multi-year deal to replace Tomlinson on the left side and weaken a bitter division rival in the process.
Patrick Mekari, Baltimore Ravens
Spotrac Market Value Projection: 3 years, $31,001,376
Undrafted out of California, Mekari had to earn his keep joining a deep Ravens offensive line and he did just that, earning a spot on the 53-man roster after impressing in training camp at both center and guard. He wound up playing nearly 500 snaps at the pivot position as a rookie, giving up nine pressures and a sack. By his fourth season in 2022, he was thrust into action at left tackle in place of injured starter Ronnie Stanley and played more than 400 total snaps at the bookend positions over a two-year period before transitioning to full-time starting guard last season.
Incredibly versatile with game experience at all five positions on the offensive line, Mekari has posted a stellar 97 percent career pass blocking efficiency rate and he played at his best in pass protection at left guard in 2024, yielding one sack and no quarterback hits on 577 pass blocking snaps. In the run game department, he has had more mixed results lacking the size to consistently create push off the line of scrimmage and performed below average in zone blocking in 2024 with a 58.2 grade, but he’s been serviceable at worst.
Though he has played six seasons already in the league, Mekari is the same age as Jenkins and Banks and his ability to start at multiple positions could earn him additional money in free agency. He’s far from the most polished zone blocker in this class, but his past ties to the Ravens and strong track record of keeping quarterbacks clean could spark interest from the Seahawks as a long-term option at either guard spot or even center.
Lucas Patrick, New Orleans Saints
Spotrac Market Value Projection: 1 years, $1,958,786
Taking the same path as Mekari, Patrick went undrafted out of Duke before signing with the Packers and didn’t see any game action in his first year with the organization, spending the full season on the practice squad. After starting just six games over the next three seasons, he became a full-time starter for Green Bay in 2020 at right guard and transitioned to center the following season, showing off his positional flexibility. He spent two seasons with the Bears before going to the Saints last season, playing for Kubiak and Benton as a starter at both left guard and center.
A bit of a late bloomer, Patrick had a fantastic season for New Orleans a season ago, giving up no sacks and just 10 pressures in 11 games. Interestingly, he hasn’t allowed a sack since the 2022 season, going more than 890 snaps between sacks surrendered. He also thrived in Kubiak’s wide zone-centric offense, finishing with a respectable 67.8 zone blocking grade last season, and his previous experience with Green Bay in Matt LaFleur’s scheme would make him even more appealing for teams deploying similar systems.
On the older side at 31 years of age, Patrick won’t be viewed as more than a stop gap for interested teams, which may not be what Seahawks fans hope for at either guard spot. However, on a one-year deal, he could the type of bargain that pushes Seattle’s offensive line over the top and his experience playing for Kubiak and Benton presents an added bonus that would help from a continuity aspect.
