The big and heavy-footed Bradford was an early day three pick in 2023 just after the team released veteran Gabe Jackson following two underwhelming seasons with the club. The hope for him, under a system where run heavy-Pete Carroll held a lot of weight, was to refine his lower body techniques and overall body control just enough and let the interior feed of his power game. He started ten games as a rookie and showed some promise. He started the first 11 games of the season before an ankle injury ended his year prematurely. Prior to that, he ranked in the bottom ten percentile in pass protection. In this new scheme under Offensive Coordinator Klint Kubiak, more athletic guards that fit the outside zone blocking are the ideal fit. He did show up trimmer as this may be his final shot to impress a coaching staff that did not draft him.
Haynes was third rounder in 2024. He saw some action (167 snaps) but he never earned a starting nod in a year where the interior offensive line was a mess. Even fellow rookie Sataoa Laumea, a sixth rounder that played tackle in college, started six games down the stretch. While a player cannot be written off after one season as a backup, the team has obviously been making multiple decisions along the line as if they’re not fully confident in the second year pro. Haynes was looked past because of power and technique issues according to coaches. Strides can be made in both departments after a year of pro coaching and development and we have seen this several times over the years. Haynes’ athleticism is also an ideal fit for what the new system wants out of the line.
Prediction: Haynes
One of these guys was drafted by this coaching staff, one was not. One of these guys has two seasons full of poor tape, one does not. And one is an ideal fit for the scheme physically, one is not. Even though Bradford has more experience and his initial look in preseason team activities looks better, Haynes is the likely fit for the starting role. A day two pick is drafted to start, period. Maybe not in year one, but in year two when that door is open. Haynes is the unknown with upside that fits this scheme and unless he gets pummeled in preseason, he gets the nod.