What happened: Dominick Puni (who noted earlier this month that San Francisco's motion work was clicking on next-day film) ranks second among NFL guards in pass-blocking grade at 82.6, followed by Quenton Nelson at 81.9. Sam Cosmi (80.6) and Tate Ratledge (80.4) complete the top five for the 2026 regular season.

Why it matters: Four of the league's top five pass-blocking guards are playing on rookie-scale contracts after being selected outside the first round, led by Detroit Lions teammates Mahogany (2024 sixth round) and Ratledge (2025 second round). Nelson, the lone first-round pick in the group, brings an 81.9 pass-blocking grade and an 85.7 overall grade to Seattle after the 2-5 Indianapolis Colts traded him to the Seahawks for 2027 third-round and 2028 fifth-round picks.

What to watch: Nelson is set to debut with Seattle ahead of Week 8 on an expiring contract while the Colts move forward toward a Week 9 matchup with the Cowboys. Mahogany and Ratledge continue anchoring Detroit's interior protection alongside Puni in San Francisco and Cosmi in Washington.