The Seattle Seahawks kicked off their 2025 NFL Draft by addressing the most glaring hole on their roster.
Brock Huard: Why Seahawks had ‘one of the best’ drafts
The Seahawks drafted North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel with the No. 18 overall pick of the first round on Thursday night, giving them some much-needed immediate help on the interior of the trenches.
For a Seahawks fanbase that’s been clamoring for O-line upgrades, it was a pick that no doubt was well received across the Pacific Northwest.
It also earned a big stamp of approval from Seahawks Radio Network analyst Ray Roberts, a former offensive lineman for the Hawks and Detroit Lions. Roberts explained what stands out about Zabel during an appearance Friday on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy.
“When they made the pick, I was super excited,” Roberts said. “I just really love the dude as a player. And I know that people have their metrics and data and all this stuff about best player available and all this other kind of stuff. But sometimes to get those best players available to be able to do their jobs, you’ve gotta get some freaking enforcers up front.
“And they got a dude who is exactly that.”
Big-time explosiveness
After a standout career at FCS-level North Dakota State, the 6-foot-6, 312-pound Zabel saw his draft stock surge over the past few months.
It began with a dominant performance at the Senior Bowl, where some analysts said he was the best player on the field regardless of position. And it continued to rise at the NFL combine, where he showcased his explosiveness and athleticism with a 36.5-inch vertical jump – which was tied for the third-best vertical jump by an offensive lineman in combine history.
By the time April rolled around, Zabel was widely considered the No. 1 or No. 2 interior offensive lineman in this year’s class.
“The thing that I liked about him that was different than some of the other guards is his initial explosion off the ball,” Roberts said. “He has a really quick first step, and he really has a lot of explosion with his contact, with his hands and the way he includes his hips in it – almost like a power clean motion. There’s a lot of energy in that.
“And that’s a hard thing to teach. Sometimes you either have that fast-twitch muscle reaction or you don’t. And he’s able to do that with a with a lot of power, with a lot of force, with a lot of quickness. … He’s a tall kid at guard, but he’s able to bend at his ankles and knees and waist to keep his leverage down. And so there’s just a lot of good things about him.”
Grey all day. pic.twitter.com/k7bEtBy1iq
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 25, 2025
A finishing mentality
Zabel can move really well and is one of the most athletic offensive linemen in this year’s draft, but don’t mistake his athleticism for finesse. He plays with a high level of physicality and toughness – traits one would expect from a small-town South Dakota native who grew up working on his family’s farm.
In particular, Roberts highlighted Zabel’s desire to finish his blocks.
“When I look at offensive linemen, the first thing I look at is whether or not they can bend, their athleticism, their lateral movement and all that kind of stuff,” Roberts said. “And then the next thing I look at is, how bad are you trying to put a dude on his back?
“Some guys get into the block, they go two or three steps, they let it go and they watch them play and they become spectators. Other dudes are more interested in trying to see how many times they can put your number on the ground. And he’s that type of dude. And that matters. That matters a lot.
“(Football) is a freaking fistfight,” Roberts added. “And this dude is up for the fight all the time. And I love that.”
Zabel also has quite the personality, as he showed during an appearance Friday morning on Seattle Sports’ Brock and Salk. Roberts thinks that’s another needed trait he brings to Seattle’s offensive line.
What we learned from Zabel’s conversation with Brock and Salk
“I think this offensive line needs a mentality,” Roberts said. “There’s too many dudes on the offensive line that are just kind of quiet dudes that kind of go about their work, and there’s not a whole lot of expression in how they go about their work.
“And this dude is a character. He seems like he doesn’t mind speaking up and talking and those types of things. And all that stuff matters too.”
Focusing on guard
Zabel has a unique level of versatility, having played all five O-line spots during his career at North Dakota State. There was some thought that his versatility could allow the Seahawks to be flexible and play him either at center or guard, depending on which position emerges as the greatest need.
But during a press conference Thursday night, Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald said the team plans to play Zabel at guard.
Roberts is a big fan of that decision.
“It sounds good to have a player that can play all five positions, but you don’t do the guy any favors when you do that because they end up not being great at anything,” Roberts said. “They just become serviceable at everything and not great at one thing.
“And so I think they need a guard who’s a guard. And he’s that dude.”
Listen to the full conversation with Ray Roberts at this link or in the audio player near the top of this story. Tune into Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
Seattle Seahawks and the NFL Draft
• Rost: Seahawks’ exciting draft picks have one thing in common
• What experts are saying about the Seahawks’ 2025 draft class
• 2025 Seattle Seahawks Draft Breakdown: A look at all 11 picks
• Five additional things to know about Seattle Seahawks’ top pick Grey Zabel
• Seattle Seahawks Draft Reaction: Brock and Bump on Grey Zabel
