Grey Zabel has yet to play his first official snap in the NFL, but when he does in Week 1 against the San Francisco 49ers, it could be the start of a long career in a Seattle Seahawks uniform for the 2025 first-round NFL Draft pick.
That’s what former NFL offensive lineman Brian Baldinger, an insider for NFL Network and FOX Sports, is expecting with the North Dakota State product.
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Baldinger, who’s renowned for his “Baldy’s Breakdowns” videos, joined Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk on Friday and was posed with a question from former NFL quarterback Brock Huard: Which Seahawks offensive lineman is he buying stock in?
The answer was easy for Baldinger.
“I’ll probably take Grey. We’re gonna be talking about him – we’ll probably stop talking about him eventually, and you’ll look up (and) he’ll be in his 10th year,” Baldinger said.
“He’ll start 160 games and he’s the foundation to everybody else around him at center, tackle, guard, whatever. Like, he’s just gonna be a foundational piece.”
“He’s gonna be a foundational piece.”@BaldyNFL tells @BrockHuard & @TheMikeSalk why he believes in #Seahawks rookie guard Grey Zabel.
FULL VIDEO 📺: https://t.co/gZl7CEpvgW pic.twitter.com/fs4FnFH4R5
— Seattle Sports (@SeattleSports) August 29, 2025
Baldinger had an interesting way of putting what he was saying into perspective, bringing second-year Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald and longtime general manager John Schneider both into the conversation.
“You know, whether Mike Macdonald’s here for a decade or not, or John Schneider is still here, I think Grey is gonna be here as long as anybody in that organization right now,” he said.
Grey Zabel in ‘spectacular’ 1-on-1 matchup a camp highlight
Baldinger’s comments shouldn’t come as too much of a shock. After all, Zabel’s first preseason game three weeks ago drew a rave review in a “Baldy’s Breakdown” video.
“Boy, what a debut he had,” Baldinger said in the breakdown posted on Aug. 8. “He is a pitbull. He just stays on you until you hit the ground and then he rolls on top of you. … Once he sticks to you, he doesn’t get off of you. Like, he stays on you. Pick any play, any play that he played last night. No bad plays. Like, he’s just wiring these guys up one after another.”
“OK, how long do you need, (Seahawks QB) Drew Lock? Do you need 3 seconds? Do you need 4 seconds? How long do you need? I’ll give you as long as you need right here. … He did a great job last night. He was fun to watch. (The Seahawks) are better up front with Grey Zabel.”
Hear the full Brock and Salk conversation with NFL analyst Brian Baldinger in the podcast at this link or in the player near the top of this post. Catch Brock and Salk live from 6-10 a.m. weekdays on Seattle Sports.
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