The Seattle Seahawks tight end room received a big new addition in the NFL Draft, but could it also lead to a big subtraction?
Rapid Fire on Seahawks Draft: Best pick, highest upside and more
The Seahawks selected Miami’s Elijah Arroyo in the second round with the No. 50 overall pick, making the 22 year old Arroyo the fourth-highest drafted tight end in Seahawks history.
Of all the positions on the field, tight end is one the Seahawks haven’t had many difference-makers at during their history.
Jimmy Graham is the Seahawks’ all-time leader in all three major receiving categories for tight ends with 170 receptions for 2,048 yards and 18 TDs during his three seasons with the team. And Graham wasn’t all that well received as a Seahawk.
Perhaps Arroyo will be the one to break Seattle’s tight end curse. According to Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former Seattle wide receiver Michael Bumpus, Arroyo has the skill set of a potential difference-maker in the passing game.
“The movement in his body is second to none,” Bumpus said during Seattle Sports’ draft coverage. “The way he dips his shoulder down and runs the seam and chops his feet, it’s beautiful to watch him play, man. It’s just the movement. It’s just the new-age tight end that we’re seeing, like the (Colston) Loveland type that’s a complete route runner. Tight ends weren’t really route runners (in the past), they were just space occupiers. Like, get to that space and I’ll throw you the football because you’re a big target.
“But this young man does it all. He’s smooth, he’s fast. I really like this pick for these guys.”
Arroyo is said to need work on his ability as blocker. But as former NFL offensive lineman and Seahawks Radio Network analyst Ray Roberts pointed out, his pass-catching skill set can still provide a needed boost in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s scheme, which frequently uses multiple tight ends.
“If they play with two or three tight ends, not every dude is going to be a big, bruising blocker,” Roberts said. “You need someone that can do some damage catching the ball on that second level, that intermediate level. He looks like he can get out wide and take advantage of some mismatches with his size and things – he looks fast enough. You got to have at least one dude in there that can do that type of stuff.”
An ominous sign for another TE?
Arroyo joins a tight end room that includes veteran Noah Fant, 2024 draft pick AJ Barner and Eric Saubert.
Bumpus pointed out that the pick of Arroyo could indicate one of the other tight ends may not be back next season. That tight end might be Fant, who was the player comparison brought up on the screen during ESPN’s draft coverage when Arroyo was selected.
“When they started bringing in 5-11, 195(-pound) slot (receivers), I knew my time was probably going to be short here unless I beat that guy out,” Bumpus said of his own NFL experience. “They bring in a guy that has your profile, you’re in direct competition with him. I’m not saying (Fant) is out, but they brought in a tight end that plays the game that you play.”
Fant had 48 catches for 500 yards and one TD last season. He was on the field for 63.5% of the snaps in the 14 games he played last season, yet he carries the second-highest salary-cap hit of any Seahawk in 2025 at roughly $13.4 million, according to OverTheCap.com.
“Based on production, that doesn’t make a whole ton of sense,” Wyman and Bob co-host Bob Stelton said.
More on the Seattle Seahawks and NFL Draft
• Why Big Ray is big fan of Seattle Seahawks’ top pick Grey Zabel
• Brock: Seattle Seahawks had ‘one of the best’ drafts
• See the Seattle Seahawks’ 2025 UDFA additions
• Rost: Seattle Seahawks’ exciting draft picks have one thing in common
• What experts are saying about the Seattle Seahawks’ NFL Draft class
