It is highly fitting to state that the Seattle Seahawks have had zero stability at the center position since Justin Britt was let go in the 2020 offseason. This September will mark Seattle’s sixth different Week 1 starting center in as many seasons, and the search for a long-term answer at the position continues.
While Olu Oluwatimi currently has the inside track after playing well in the back-end of the 2024 season, the Seahawks will undoubtedly be exploring all options, including the consensus top pure center prospect in this year’s class. Georgia’s Jared Wilson met with the Seahawks in an official 30 visit on Wednesday.
This is not considered a deep draft class for centers, but Wilson is evidently a cut above the rest even with just one season of starting experience. Dane Brugler of The Athletic has released his highly acclaimed draft guide for 2025. So I'll rely on his knowledge about Wilson, who used to play soccer but now is a large man securing the offensive line.
Wilson began his career at Georgia with just one year of starting experience. After the 2022 season, he transitioned from his previous position to become the team's center under offensive coordinator Mike Bobo's multi-run system, which includes both zone and gap schemes. Despite only taking up football during high school and not moving positions until later in his college years, Wilson excelled when named a starter in 2024 and received All-SEC recognition for his performance. His athleticism and physical strength enable him to excel particularly in interior zones, where he can effectively execute tight spaces and plays like backside cutoffs or frontside reaches.
Still relatively inexperienced, he needs to develop his consistency as a drive blocker in the run game and when working underneath defenders to anchor in pass protection. Overall, Wilson lacks premium size and is fundamentally rough around the edges, but he sports the body control, movement skills and football IQ to lock down a long-term starting center role. His game is reminiscent of Rodney Hudson’s, and he should compete for immediate starting reps.
Brugler predicts Wilson will likely be selected in the second round. He is typically considered a Day 2 draft choice with only a slight possibility of getting picked at the end of the first round. It's worth mentioning that during the 2022 and 2023 campaigns, Wilson played some games at guard; however, he solely took up the position of center last year. Throughout this period in one of college football's toughest conferences—the SEC—he didn’t allow any sacks and recorded merely five pressures over the entire season.
Just like before, an official pre-draft visit does not guarantee that the Seahawks will select a player, but such visits typically signal a certain degree of interest as the drafting process approaches. Should you be seeking updates about the inside linebacker position, I trust this information suffices for now.
