The Seattle Seahawks have accomplished a lot . On Friday, head coach Mike Macdonald announced that the team would use fourth-round rookie Sataoa Laumea at right guard in place of the injured Anthony Bradford.
Bradford was put on after leaving Seattle's Week 12 game against the Arizona Cardinals due to an ankle injury. This of course left room for a fight between the two newcomers Christian Haynes and Sataoa Laumea. There was a competition between the two and Laumea had clearly won.
Mike Macdonald said Sataoa Laumea will start at RG against the Jets after beating fellow rookie Christian Haynes in their contest this week. Macdonald wouldn't reveal whether they will alternate the two, saying they have a plan and will see how the game turns out.
– Brady Henderson (@BradyHenderson)
Laumea was selected in the sixth round of the 2024 NFL draft and was a four-year starter for the Utah Utes .
Laumea's victory in the starting guard competition is a bit of a surprise. Christian Haynes was the primary substitute behind Bradford and even rotated at times during games. As for Laumea, not only will this be the first start of his career, it will literally be the first time he takes the field in a regular season NFL game. For every week this year, Laumea has been made inactive. Now he's starting.
While this is a good sign that the Seahawks may have gotten a steal in the later rounds, it still raises some concerns about Haynes, who was arguably the top guard prospect in the draft. Haynes couldn't beat Bradford in the starting lineup (who has been terrible for most of this year) and now he can't beat his fellow rookie? Haynes' development will certainly be something to keep an eye on going forward.
