For the final 30 days leading up to the start of Seattle Seahawks training camp, we will be counting down the 30 most important players on the roster heading into the 2019 season.
Few players on Seattle’s current roster have faced more scrutiny than starting right tackle Germain Ifedi. Drafted in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft, Ifedi has struggled to establish himself as an NFL starter.
While 2018 was his best professional season to date, Ifedi will need to take an even bigger step forward if the Seahawks are going to continue thriving in both the run-game and through the air.
Additionally, Ifedi only has one more year to prove himself before his contract runs out. The Seahawks declined to offer Ifedi a fifth-year extension, which would have paid the 25-year-old around $10 million dollars in 2020.
While coach Carroll indicated they like Ifedi and want to keep him around long-term, the team has Jamarco Jones, George Fant and Elijah Nkansah, each who could challenge for Ifedi’s job next season if he doesn’t show improvement.
Ifedi proved last season that he can make those necessary improvements, notably by cutting down on the number of penalties he committed.
However, with so many teams lining up their best edge defender over the right tackle – Ifedi will have to prove he can handle assignments against guys like Khalil Mack and Von Miller if he wants to keep starting for this team into the next decade.
