Editor’s Note: (All photos were taken Saturday in Green Bay at Lambeau Field by LSJ Photographer Eric Sturr)
By Tom Westerholm
LocalSportsJournal.com
MUSKEGON–Muskegon native Anthony Bradford – a former four-star standout for the Big Reds – will kick off his rookie season as a member of the Seattle Seahawks on Sept. 10 after the Seahawks selected him with the 108th pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.
Here are five things to watch as Bradford begins his professional career.
Draft experts loved Bradford as a draft pick for the Seahawks
Before the draft, scouts loved Bradford’s athleticism (he scored an 81 at the combine, which ranked him fourth among guards). Bleacher Report called Bradford a “young, inexperienced bulldozer in the run game” and considered him a “high-end” prospect with a lot of development potential, but noted that his technique still needs some work. NFL.com, meanwhile, wrote that Bradford “has the potential to become an eventual starter for gap and power teams.”
“I’ll take size and power all day over finesse guards who can move but don’t have any pop to them,” an unnamed offensive line coach for AFC team told NFL.com.
Post-draft, NFL.com’s Chad Reuter gave the Seahawks an A- for the draft overall, but he gave them an “A” for Day 3 when Bradford was drafted. Reuter also projected that Bradford would make the NFL’s Offensive All-Rookie Team.
“I love Bradford’s power at guard,” Reuter wrote.
Pro Football Focus praised Seattle’s draft as well, handing the Seahawks an “A” overall and noting that, while Bradford needs to develop as a pass protector, he “fits well in a gap scheme by bringing strength in the run game to Seattle, filling a position of need with an athlete that tested very well for his size.” CBS Sports gave the Seahawks an “A” for picking Bradford specifically, writing that Bradford and former Michigan IOL Olusegun Oluwatimi – who the Seahawks took in the fifth round – “will be rocks on the interior of what was a shoddy offensive line for a very long time.”
For his part, Bradford is excited to take the field with Oluwatimi.
“Me and Olu, we’re going to be close,” Bradford said at his rookie minicamp press conference in May. “Olu, he’s a very smart player. I feel like he can help me with my game a lot, because I know I don’t know everything. And Olu, like I said, is a very smart dude. He already got his face in the book, I got my face in the book, so we put our minds together, it’s going to be nasty.”
Bradford gets some encouragement during stretching. Photo/Eric Sturr
Bradford values his connection to his hometown
A consensus four-star athlete at Muskegon, Bradford has maintained a strong connection to his roots. At his rookie minicamp press conference, Bradford was asked what it means to represent Muskegon at the NFL level. He broke into a big smile and shook his head.
“Yo, you don’t even understand,” Bradford said. “I’m from a small city in Michigan. Nobody really knows about it. So for me being able to rep my city, where I was at, and then now expanding it to where I can rep it at, it means a lot to me. I know my city got me on their backs, and it means the world to me.”
Bradford spent some time back home this summer. He participated in the Get Mauled offensive line camp at Hackley Stadium with Muskegon O-Line coach Matt Bolles in an effort to show local players how much is possible with hard work and dedication. Bradford noted to ABC 13 that showing up to camps “always gets me in a good mood,” since his presence lets kids know that “there is more to this.”
“Tony gets it,” Bolles told ABC 13.
At his rookie minicamp press conference, Bradford singled out Bolles specifically when asked about the mentality that took him from Muskegon to the SEC to the NFL.
“I learned my mentality from high school, my O-Line coach Matt Bolles,” Bradford said. “That’s just been my mindset ever since. It’s just second nature to me.”
Bradford goes through pregame stretching routine. Photo/Eric Sturr
Bradford holds no ill will toward Michigan
Michigan’s decision not to recruit Bradford seemed odd at the time – so much so that the Detroit Free Press in 2018 wrote about the Wolverines’ decision never to “pull the trigger” on making Bradford an offer.
Bradford did just fine for himself without attending Michigan – at 6-foot-5 and 345 pounds, he was the biggest player on LSU’s roster last year, and his three seasons of SEC football helped cement him as a potential NFL draft pick.
Still, the questions about Michigan persisted even into this summer when a reporter asked him quizzically at his rookie minicamp press conference whether he considered Michigan.
“They didn’t offer me, but they recruited me,” Bradford said. “… It worked out for me. I don’t got no bad blood.”
Bradford and the Seahawks travel to Detroit on Sept. 17
Muskegon residents who want to watch Bradford play in-person during his rookie season will have a great opportunity in Week 2 when the Seahawks travel to Detroit to take on the Lions. The Seahawks – who ESPN ranked 11th in their post-draft power rankings – outlasted the Lions (13th in ESPN’s power rankings) in a 48-45 Week 4 shootout last year.
Will Big Reds fans who make the trek to Ford Field get a chance to see Bradford in the lineup as a rookie? Well …
There were small pockets of Seahawks fans scattered in the stadium. Photo/Eric Sturr
Bradford hopes to start as early as this year
While draft experts noted several potential areas of improvement for Bradford, the 22-year-old wants to make a major impact immediately.
“I’m coming in looking to compete for a starting job,” Bradford told MLive in July. “My first goal is to get all my stuff down and understand the playbook and everything, and then once training camp starts, I can just go out there and perform at a high level and earn some playing time.”
At a rookie spotlight event earlier this year, Seahawks GM Jon Schneider – speaking in front of a room full of people – told Bradford the Seahawks were blown away by Bradford’s visit to the team, as well as his film.
“The technology we have now to be able to study film and to watch you, we can do a cut up basically that pops up like that (snaps) that basically says, ‘Okay this is Anthony Bradford against the best players in the country, or what we have graded as draftable players.’ And you kick everybody’s ass,” Schneider said. “So we can see it. We all feel blessed that we were able to acquire you where we acquired you.”
But is starting a realistic possibility? Schneider thinks so.
“He moves out there and goes and plays tackle and he played well,” Schneider said of Bradford, per FanNation. “So, he’s a big man, he can compete to start, and he can get you out of a game at tackle.”
Bradford is game-ready as the Seahawks run onto the field for the start. Photo/Eric Sturr
Seahawks head coach Pete Carroll is starting his 14th year with the team. Photo/Eric Sturr
Bradford is ready for the snap. Photo/Eric Sturr
Bradford slides over to help on the outside. Photo/Eric Sturr
Bradford fires off at the snap at his right guard position. Photo/Eric Sturr
Bradford handles Colby Wooden on the pass block. Photo/Eric Sturr
Bradford gets his leg wrapped with ice after playing just one series in the third quarter. Photo/Eric Sturr
The Lambeau faithful come to preseason games in force with more than 72,000 in attendance. Photo/Eric Sturr
Bradford checks the scoreboard in the fourth quarter, minus the iced knee. Photo/Eric Sturr
Packers’ fans dance to ‘Jump Around’. Photo/Eric Sturr
Bradford exits the field with teammate Jordan Ferguson after the final preseason game. Photo/Eric Sturr
