LAWRENCE — Bryce Cabeldue proved to be the second and final Kansas football player to be selected during the 2025 NFL Draft in April, as the Seattle Seahawks picked the standout offensive lineman in the sixth round.
Cabeldue, who spent his entire college career with the Jayhawks, became a stalwart member of the program’s offensive line in recent years. He showcased some positional versatility, as the regular starter at left tackle in 2024 and the regular starter at right tackle in 2023.
After playing a pivotal role in KU’s resurgence under coach Lance Leipold, he’ll now join a Seattle organization in the professional ranks that’s led by coach Mike Macdonald and president of football operations/general manager John Schneider.
Here are a few takeaways from the Seahawks’ decision to draft Cabeldue:
Why did Seattle like Bryce Cabeldue?
Schneider told reporters Cabeldue is an athletic player with a chip on his shoulder who is very smart. Schneider considers Cabeldue someone who was very much an under-the-radar type of talent. Although Cabeldue’s collegiate experience included a focus on playing tackle, Seattle is projecting him to play in the interior of the Seahawks’ offensive line.
Cabeldue told reporters he didn’t necessarily know if the Seahawks would draft him, or where they would if they did, but during the pre-draft process did feel his interactions with the organization placed him in a positive spot and he’s thankful it worked out.
What does Bryce Cabeldue think about moving inside as an offensive lineman?
Cabeldue, who acknowledged Seattle saw him as a guard during the pre-draft process, outlined that most teams saw him that way as well, and it’s the position he played while he was at the East-West Shrine Bowl. He spent the offseason working on playing guard and gained the confidence to feel like he’ll be able to shine at that position.
Speaking generally, he noted a lot of teams saw his value as playing either guard spot, and even center, and if necessary moving outside to tackle in an emergency situation.
Cabeldue, who has spent some time preparing to be a center as well, thinks playing at guard suits his game because he’s quick off the ball. That can mean getting in front of a defender in pass protection and being in the right spot in the running game to open up a hole for a teammate. Right now, he’d consider his run-blocking ability to be a bit ahead of his pass-blocking ability.
Where has Bryce Cabeldue’s game progressed the most, between his freshman year in college and now?
Simply put, Cabeldue pointed to his knowledge of the game. He thinks the years he spent at Kansas helped him learn how to become a pro, as he watched film and studied various techniques. The more he’s understood the game, the easier it’s been for him on the field.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.