SEATTLE -- The 2025 NFL draft kicked off in Green Bay, Wisconsin on Thursday. The Seattle Seahawks selected Grey Zabel from North Dakota State with the 18th pick in the first round.
Below is analysis of every Seahawks pick:
Analysis of every pick | Updated depth chart
Round 1, No. 18 overall: Grey Zabel, G, North Dakota State
My take: Seahawks fans who have been clamoring for the team to fix the big hole in the interior of their offensive line can start to breathe easily. Zabel was a popular pick for Seattle in mock drafts, and while general manager John Schneider often zigs in the first round, he made a commonly-projected move by drafting Zabel. Zabel fills a big need, and his physical traits make him a good fit for Klint Kubiak's outside-zone rushing scheme. He doesn't have to make a Pro Bowl to justify his selection, but Zabel's explosiveness -- he has a 36.5-inch vertical jump -- gives him that kind of upside. He also seems like a Seahawks-type personality, having turned down lucrative offers from Power 5 schools to remain at NDSU.
Will he start as a rookie? No doubt. The question is where. Zabel played both guard and both tackle spots in college then worked at center at the Senior Bowl. His arms are short for an NFL tackle, which is why he's been expected to move inside. His best fit in Seattle may be at one of the guard spots. They have an opening on the left side, where last year's starter, Laken Tomlinson, departed in free agency. The Seahawks' interior offensive linemen ranked ranked 25th last season in pass block win rate, according to ESPN Research. Overall, Seattle allowed 54 sacks, tied for third-most in the NFL.
An NDSU reunion in Seattle: Zabel was college teammates with Seahawks offensive lineman Jalen Sundell, who went undrafted last year. He called Sundell a good friend and knew the exact pick his sister, Serena, was selected at by the Seattle Storm in the recent WNBA draft (26th overall). "So cool," Zabel said of reuniting with Sundell, adding: "To have a familiar face in the locker room, in the city, it's going to be awesome. I'll lean on him heavily." Speaking of Seattle, Zabel relayed to reporters that his mother once told him he was named after the TV show Grey's Anatomy -- only to later find out that he was born three years before the show debuted.
Check out some of the top highlights from South Carolina's Nick Emmanwori.
Round 2, No. 35: Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
My take: By addressing their biggest hole and beefing up the interior of their offensive line in Round 1, the Seahawks freed themselves up to take a best-player-available approach on Day 2. And with the extra second- and third-round selections they owned from the DK Metcalf and Geno Smith trades, Schneider had the flexibility to move up for someone they love.
Schneider said the Seahawks considered moving back into the first round to take Emmanwori on Thursday night. Instead, he took him at 35 overall after trading up in Round 2, giving the Titans their 52nd and 82nd overall picks.
This feels less like filling a need and more like a swing on a gifted player -- Emmanwori lit up the NFL combine by running a 4.38-second 40-yard dash at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds -- who has the upside to help Mike Macdonald's defense go from good to great. As the Ravens' defensive coordinator, Macdonald helped turn Kyle Hamilton into an All-Pro safety.
Will he start as a rookie? Emmanwori should play extensively early on, but it may be as the third safety as opposed to an every-down starting role. Coach Mike Macdonald gave that impression while answering a question about whether Hamilton or former Seahawks Pro Bowl safety Kam Chancellor entered his mind while evaluating Emmanwori.
"I think what we found with Kyle is that the system allows for us to get multiple safeties on the field and also be in the slot kind of with enhanced coverage responsibilities," Macdonald said.
Macdonald's comments about Emmanwori suggest that he may not immediately usurp Coby Bryant, who emerged as a solid starter last season alongside Julian Love. Either way, that's a strong safety trio that will give a creative coach in Macdonald plenty of flexibility -- especially if Emmanwori shows he can play in the post and not just in the box.
Round 2: No. 50: Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
My take: Noah Fant's bloated contract has led to speculation that he could become a cap casualty at some point this offseason. That seemingly becomes more of a possibility now that Seattle has spent a second-round pick on another tight end. Even if they keep Fant, the Seahawks needed to add to the position at some point given that their only other options there were AJ Barner and veteran Eric Saubert.
Arroyo scored seven touchdowns and averaged 16.9 yards per catch in 13 games last season. He's known as a willing blocker at 6-5 and 254 pounds, something he'll have to do while playing in an offense that plans to run the ball. "I'm an elite competitor," he said. "You look on film, you know exactly what you're going to get with me. That's tremendous effort every day."
Will Arroyo start as a rookie? That depends on what Seattle does with Fant, who is set to make $9 million next season while counting over $13 million against the cap. That's a lot of money for someone who has scored only one touchdown over the last two years despite his 4.5 speed and first-round talent. The Seahawks aren't hurting for cap space, so if they are on the fence about Fant, they can use the offseason program and perhaps training camp to gauge Arroyo's readiness to fill a significant role right away and then make a decision from there. Barner will also factor into that equation. Last year's fourth-round pick was billed more as a blocker, but he scored four touchdowns during a strong rookie season.
Round 3, No. 92: Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama
My take: After taking care of business with their first three picks, the Seahawks were in position to have a little fun. That's one way of looking at their addition of Milroe. This wasn't a pick for need like their first-round selection of Grey Zabel or, to a lesser extent, their second-round selections of safety Nick Emmanwori and tight end Elijah Arroyo. Milroe is instead a flier on a supremely gifted runner with the hope that he can develop as a passer behind starter Sam Darnold -- a worthwhile gamble late in the third round. Even if Milroe never improves enough to threaten Darnold, he gives new coordinator Klint Kubiak a weapon to use in wildcat packages, something he had in New Orleans with Taysom Hill.
When will Milroe play? Coach Mike Macdonald said Darnold will still play over 90% of the team's snaps, and that Milroe will have to earn his way onto the field in certain packages. He's joining a crowded mix of quarterbacks that also includes Drew Lock, who got $2.25 million to be Darnold's backup. Lock's addition has put Sam Howell on the trade block. Seattle also has Jaren Hall. Adding a fifth quarterback makes it even more difficult to imagine Howell remaining in the mix.
Round 5, No. 142: Rylie Mills, DE, Notre Dame
My take: Mills has something Macdonald and his defensive staff covet -- positional versatility. Listed at 6-5 and 296 pounds, Mills played both end and tackle in college, giving Seattle another player who can move up and down the line of scrimmage a la Leonard Williams. Assistant general manager Nolan Teasley described Mills as someone who can handle the dirty work up front but also get to the quarterback on his own. He had 17 sacks in 61 college games, including 7.5 sacks in 13 games last year before he tore his ACL in the College Football Playoff. Mills said he's ahead of schedule in his recovery, though it doesn't sound like the Seahawks are expecting him to be able to play until midseason at the earliest. They brought him in for a visit, which allowed them to take a close look at how he was recovering.
Round 5, No. 166: Tory Horton, WR, Colorado State
My take: After trading DK Metcalf in March, the Seahawks signed veteran Marquez Valdes-Scantling to try to replace some of Metcalf's size and speed in their receiver corps. Drafting Horton is another attempt to do the same thing. Listed at 6-3 and 196 pounds, Horton had a time of 4.41 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. That was shortly after he resumed running following surgery for a knee/hamstring injury that sidelined him most of last season. He said he ran in the 4.3s during training around the same time. That kind of speed could also help him factor as a punt returner. He returned three punts for touchdowns in college to go along with 27 receiving scores over five seasons. As for Horton's injury, the Seahawks were able to check on his recovery when they brought him in for a visit.
Round 5, No. 175: Robbie Ouzts, FB, Alabama
My take: The Seahawks plan to use a fullback in what they hope will be a physical run game under new coordinator Klint Kubiak. Ouzts gives them another option to fill that role along with Brady Russell. Like Russell, Ouzts is switching positions from tight end. He's been used as an H-back but he doesn't have much experience as a traditional fullback, so the Seahawks may want him and Russell to compete for that role. But drafting him in the fifth round suggests they think he'll be a good enough special teams player to stick on the roster even if he isn't their primary fullback.
Round 6, No. 192: Bryce Cabeldue, G, Kansas
My take: Cabeldue played tackle in college, but like first-round pick Grey Zabel, he'll move inside to guard in the NFL due to his shorter arm length. Sixth-round picks aren't even guaranteed roster spots let alone the opportunity to compete for starting jobs, but Cabeldue will join Seattle's incumbent options to play guard opposite Zabel, which are Christian Haynes, Sataoa Laumea and Anthony Bradford. An unmistakable theme with the Seahawks' selections this year is that almost all of them have above average physical traits. Cabeldue, listed at 6-4 and 308 pounds, fits that bill. Based on his Relative Athletic Scores, he was graded as "elite" in terms of both explosion and speed, and "great" in terms of agility.
Round 7, No. 223: Damien Martinez, RB, Miami
My take: Between general manager John Schneider's comments about the strength of this year's running back class and the Seahawks' need for depth at that position, it seemed like a foregone conclusion they would add to their backfield at some point in the draft. A physical runner, Martinez told reporters that Seattle has "another Beast Mode 2.0" coming to town. His 6-foot, 217-pound build and seventh-round draft slot bring to mind another former Seahawks back in Chris Carson. He'll compete with Kenny McIntosh and George Holani to be the RB3 behind Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet.
Round 7, No. 234: Mason Richman, OT, Iowa
My take: You wanted general manager John Schneider to address the interior of the Seahawks' embattled offensive line in the draft, and he did. Like first-round pick Grey Zabel and sixth-rounder Bryce Cabeldue, Richman played tackle in college. But unlike the other two, he'll stay there in Seattle as opposed to moving inside to guard. All three are quick off the line of scrimmage, which will play well in new coordinator Klint Kubiak's outside-zone running scheme. With Seattle not taking a center, Olu Oluwatimi remains in the driver seat to reclaim the starting job he assumed midway through last season. Jalen Sundell will also be in that mix.
Round 7, No. 238: Ricky White III, WR, UNLV
My take: By closing out their draft with another receiver in White, nine of the Seahawks' 11 picks were on offensive players. Not to sell White short on how he could make an impact right away as a seventh-round pick. In addition to leading UNLV in receiving for three straight seasons, White blocked four punts and was named Mountain West special teams player of the year in 2024. That may be his ticket to a roster spot in Seattle's crowded receiver corps. White ran a sluggish 4.61 40 at the combine then improved that time with a 4.44 at his pro day after training with a speed coach.