The Seattle Seahawks have received overwhelmingly positive reviews for their 2025 draft class.

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They addressed their most glaring need by drafting offensive lineman Grey Zabel in the first round. They added a pair of intriguing second-round picks in versatile safety Nick Emmanwori and field-stretching tight end Elijah Arroyo, who both possess rare athletic traits for their size.

They took a third-round lottery ticket on dual-threat quarterback Jalen Milroe, whose tantalizing talent as a runner makes him one of the draft’s most interesting prospects. And they grabbed several potential Day 3 value picks in fifth-round defensive lineman Rylie Mills, fifth-round wide receiver Tory Horton, seventh-round running back Damien Martinez and seventh-round wideout Ricky White III.

The Athletic’s Derrik Klassen, co-host of The Athletic Football Show, is among those who think highly of the Seahawks’ draft. Klassen shared his perspective on Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob last week.

“I liked a lot of what they did,” Klassen said. “… For (Seahawks general manager John Schneider) to finally spend a first-round pick on (a guard) I thought was pretty encouraging. I really like what Elijah Arroyo can be in terms of a move piece for the offense. Jalen Milroe, he’s not a good player yet but he’s one that I want to bet on anyway, so I kind of love them doing that.

“And then even a little bit further down the board, getting guys like Damien Martinez in the seventh round – I really enjoyed a lot of what they did throughout this process.”

The 2025 impact

That being said, Klassen thinks this draft class won’t begin to significantly elevate the Seahawks until 2026 or 2027.

He pointed to a potential learning curve for Arroyo, who was used primarily as a receiving threat at Miami rather than a blocker. Milroe needs more polishing as a passer before he can legitimately contend for the starting quarterback job. And while Mills and Horton are promising, they are both still recovering from knee injuries they suffered last season.

“I don’t know if a whole lot moves the needle here (in 2025),” Klassen said. “Like, to me, when I look at a guy like Elijah Arroyo – tight ends in general don’t produce very early. But he is a guy who I think is going to be limited early on just because of what he was asked to do at Miami. I think he’s gonna be a guy where the development path is a little longer.

“Obviously you’re not gonna get a lot from Jalen Milroe (in Year 1). Tory Horton, even though he’s a player I like, is coming off an injury. So you have a lot of guys here that I don’t know if they are going to be immediate contributors, but I really love what their long-term sell is going to be.”

Klassen said he would have liked for Seattle to draft a cornerback.

The Seahawks have a strong cornerback duo in Devon Witherspoon and Riq Woolen, but many expected them to address the position in the draft. Their depth at the position is relatively thin, and they also could use another player to challenge Josh Jobe for the third cornerback spot. There’s also some long-term uncertainty at the position, with Woolen heading into the final year of his rookie contract.

“If I was going to think differently about this Seahawks roster before the draft and after the draft, the big thing I really wanted to see them attack was corner, and that was something they didn’t really do,” Klassen said.

“So for as good as I feel about 2026 and 2027 for what this draft does for them, I don’t know if it changes how much different I feel about them in 2025.”

Listen to the full conversation with The Athletic’s Derrik Klassen at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune into Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2 to 7 p.m. on Seattle Sports.

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