Former NFL offensive lineman sings high praises of recent Seahawks draft pick
The Seattle Seahawks used a fifth-round draft pick to bring in Olu Oluwatimi, and it may have been a draft-day steal.
As the NFL Draft passed, it was evident that the Seattle Seahawks needed to add size and strength up front.
On the defensive line, the Seahawks added Cameron Young and defensive end Mike Morris. On the offensive end, Seattle added LSU guard Anthony Bradford, and in the fifth round, the Seahawks claimed what may amount to the steal of the draft weekend in Michigan center Olu Oluwatimi.
Former NFL lineman Ray Roberts at least thinks so, as he recently stated to Seattlesports.com that he is keeping a keen eye on what Oluwatimi can do to assure the Seahawks' offensive line in his rookie year.
“I’ve kind of been on him since even before the draft,” Roberts told Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy on Friday.
Robert highlighted his appreciation for Oluwatimi's game in March when the Seahawks were very much enveloped in the pre-draft process.
Roberts believes that Oluwatimi could be a plug-and-play fixture in Seattle's offense.
The rationale for Oluwatimi playing immediately at the NFL level is tied to the similarities in offensive styles played at Michigan and played in Seattle.
“He ran a similar running game in college. He’s very adept at it. He knows where to go, how to get there, he’s a smart guy. He’s a bigger dude, especially in his lower half of his body, so he can anchor a little better,” Roberts said.
“I’m just excited to see the guy who was pretty much the best center in the country for the last two years and the best interior lineman, period – offensive or defense – last year (winning the Outland Trophy) … I really think that he has an opportunity to kind of solidify the middle of that offensive line.”
Roberts went as far as to compare what Oluwatimi could be to Damien Lewis, a guard, out of LSU who the Seahawks selected in the 2020 draft. Lewis went on to start Week 1 of his NFL career, and Roberts feels as though Oluwatimi could be the same.
“Damien Lewis came in and like right from the get-go, Pete Carroll said, ‘You’re starting at right guard,’ and he just never looked back,” Roberts said. “And I think Olu has a chance to do the same thing."
If the buzz about Oluwatimi's game proves true, Seattle will have walked away with one of the best steals in the 2023 NFL Draft. But it is on the offensive lineman out of Michigan to prove that prediction to be true.
