Seattle began the draft with a slam-dunk pick, taking North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel with the 18th overall selection. Zabel has a chance to start immediately at left guard considering last year\u2019s starter, Laken Tomlinson, is now with the Houston Texans.<\/p>\n
Zabel is capable of playing all five spots on the offensive line, but coach Mike Macdonald says he\u2019ll begin at guard.<\/p>\n
\u201cHopefully we find a home for him at one position and he lives there for a really long time for us,\u201d Macdonald said. \u201cBut I think it just speaks to his savvy. It\u2019s not easy to find those guys that can play interior and at tackle. So, he\u2019s one of them, and he\u2019s ours now.\u201d<\/p>\n
On paper, it was a productive draft for the Seahawks, who added to each position group that needed reinforcements.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re on our way. We\u2019re growing,\u201d Macdonald said. \u201cIt\u2019s our job to expedite that process so we\u2019re competing for championships this year. That\u2019s what we want to do, and I\u2019m really confident that we\u2019re going to have that opportunity. That\u2019s the expectation for us.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Seahawks traded up to take South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori with the 35th pick. The 6-foot-3, 220-pound Emmanwori has drawn comparisons to Ravens All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton, who played under Macdonald in 2023 when he was Baltimore\u2019s defensive coordinator.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey said me and him are very similar but I can still work on some things to get up to his All-Pro level now,\u201d Emmanwori said. \u201cI\u2019m bigger, faster, things like that.\u201d<\/p>\n
Seahawks Draft Reaction: Nick Emmanwori is \u2018Swiss Army knife\u2019 safety<\/a><\/p>\n He will join a secondary that includes two-time All-Pro cornerback Devon Witherspoon and safeties Julian Love and Coby Bryant.<\/p>\n The Seahawks also added depth at wide receiver by selecting Tory Horton of Colorado State in the fifth round and Ricky White III from UNLV in the seventh. Seattle will have an almost entirely new crop of pass-catchers alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba after the departures of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett and the signings of veterans Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.<\/p>\n \u201cTory is an underrated guy, in our opinion,\u201d general manager John Schneider said. \u201cHe can return punts, his catch radius. He\u2019s long, competitive, very fast receiver.\u201d<\/p>\n Schneider said the coaching staff is excited about what White can contribute on special teams.<\/p>\n Quarterback shakeup<\/p>\n After drafting quarterback Jalen Milroe of Alabama on Friday, the Seahawks continued remaking their quarterback room behind new starter Sam Darnold. Backup Sam Howell was traded to the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday as part of a deal that helped the Seahawks move up in the fifth round.<\/p>\n Related: Why new Seattle Seahawks QB Jalen Milroe could see the field right away<\/a><\/p>\n Along with Darnold and Milroe, the Seahawks also have veteran Drew Lock, who recently signed a two-year deal.<\/p>\n Future after Fant?<\/p>\n Tight end Noah Fant is entering the final year of a two-year contract that includes a cap hit of $13.4 million in 2025. While the 27-year-old has been a solid receiving option for the Seahawks the last three years since arriving in the trade that sent Russell Wilson to Denver, the franchise may have selected Fant\u2019s successor in Elijah Arroyo.<\/p>\n A second-round pick out of Miami, the 6-foot-5, 250-pound Arroyo is an athletic playmaker<\/a> who has shown steady improvement as a blocker. While Arroyo missed most of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with knee injuries, he started all 13 games for the Hurricanes last season and showed his potential in the pass game.<\/p>\n \u201cWherever I\u2019m a receiver, I feel like that\u2019s where I thrive,\u201d Arroyo said. \u201cJust being able to spread out and create mismatches.\u201d<\/p>\n Fullback in the fold<\/p>\n Arroyo wasn\u2019t the sole tight end the Seahawks drafted, but he\u2019s the only one the franchise intends on using in that capacity. The Seahawks used a fifth-round pick on Robbie Ouzts, who played tight end at Alabama the last four years but is poised to line up at fullback for Seattle.<\/p>\n The 6-4, 270-pound Ouzts was known more for his blocking than his pass-catching with the Crimson Tide, but he could be an integral part of the Seahawks\u2019 offense. Ouzts will compete for a job this summer with fullback Brady Russell.<\/p>\n First-year offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak has worked with fullbacks like perennial All-Pro Kyle Juszczyk and Adam Prentice at previous stops.<\/p>\n \u201cYou know that you\u2019re working with somebody that has experience, and gets a lot of production out of a guy in my role,\u201d Ouzts said. \u201cI\u2019m very excited to make that transition to the next level and work with these coaches to better myself and succeed in the role that they envision for me.\u201d<\/p>\n Lots of linemen<\/p>\n The Seahawks picked up two more offensive linemen in later rounds. They selected Bryce Cabeldue of Kansas in the sixth and Mason Richman of Iowa in the seventh.<\/p>\n Unlike Zabel, Cabeldue and Richman aren\u2019t as likely to receive regular playing time at first. They join an offensive line that struggled mightily to keep quarterback Geno Smith upright last season. The Seahawks yielded 54 sacks, tied for third-most in the NFL.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s an area of need, but it always is. I can\u2019t emphasize that enough,\u201d Schneider said. \u201cEvery team in the National Football League is looking to help their offensive line. It\u2019s just an ongoing issue.\u201d<\/p>\n Seattle Seahawks NFL Draft coverage<\/p>\n \u2022 Rost: Seattle Seahawks\u2019 exciting draft picks have one thing in common<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0Seattle Seahawks 2025 undrafted free agency signings<\/a>
\u2022\u00a0What experts are saying about Seattle Seahawks\u2019 2025 draft class<\/a>
\u2022\u00a02025 NFL Draft: Every UW, WSU and local player picked<\/a>
\u2022 Seattle Seahawks Draft Breakdown: A look at all 11 picks<\/a><\/p>\n
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