The Seahawks drafted North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n For a Seahawks fanbase that\u2019s been clamoring for O-line upgrades, it was a pick that no doubt was well received across the Pacific Northwest.<\/p>\n It also earned a big stamp of approval from Seahawks Radio Network analyst Ray Roberts<\/a>, a former offensive lineman for the Hawks and Detroit Lions. Roberts explained what stands out about Zabel during an appearance Friday on Seattle Sports\u2019 Bump and Stacy.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen they made the pick, I was super excited,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cI 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\u2019ve gotta get some freaking enforcers up front.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd they got a dude who is exactly that.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Big-time explosiveness<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n It began with a dominant performance at the Senior Bowl, where some analysts said he was the best player on the field<\/a> 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 \u2013 which was tied for the third-best vertical jump by an offensive lineman in combine history.<\/p>\n By the time April rolled around, Zabel was widely considered the No. 1 or No. 2 interior offensive lineman in this year\u2019s class.<\/p>\n \u201cThe thing that I liked about him that was different than some of the other guards is his initial explosion off the ball,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cHe 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 \u2013 almost like a power clean motion. There\u2019s a lot of energy in that.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd that\u2019s a hard thing to teach. Sometimes you either have that fast-twitch muscle reaction or you don\u2019t. And he\u2019s able to do that with a with a lot of power, with a lot of force, with a lot of quickness. \u2026 He\u2019s a tall kid at guard, but he\u2019s able to bend at his ankles and knees and waist to keep his leverage down. And so there\u2019s just a lot of good things about him.\u201d<\/p>\n Grey all day. pic.twitter.com\/k7bEtBy1iq<\/a><\/p>\n \u2014 Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 25, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n A finishing mentality<\/p>\n Zabel can move really well and is one of the most athletic offensive linemen in this year\u2019s draft, but don\u2019t mistake his athleticism for finesse. He plays with a high level of physicality and toughness \u2013 traits one would expect from a small-town South Dakota native who grew up working on his family\u2019s farm<\/a>.<\/p>\n In particular, Roberts highlighted Zabel\u2019s desire to finish his blocks.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen 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,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cAnd then the next thing I look at is, how bad are you trying to put a dude on his back?<\/p>\n \u201cSome 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\u2019s that type of dude. And that matters. That matters a lot.<\/p>\n \u201c(Football) is a freaking fistfight,\u201d Roberts added. \u201cAnd this dude is up for the fight all the time. And I love that.\u201d<\/p>\n Zabel also has quite the personality, as he showed during an appearance Friday morning on Seattle Sports\u2019 Brock and Salk<\/a>. Roberts thinks that\u2019s another needed trait he brings to Seattle\u2019s offensive line.<\/p>\n What we learned from Zabel\u2019s conversation with Brock and Salk<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI think this offensive line needs a mentality,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cThere\u2019s too many dudes on the offensive line that are just kind of quiet dudes that kind of go about their work, and there\u2019s not a whole lot of expression in how they go about their work.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd this dude is a character. He seems like he doesn\u2019t mind speaking up and talking and those types of things. And all that stuff matters too.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Focusing on guard<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n But during a press conference Thursday night, Seattle head coach Mike Macdonald said the team plans to play Zabel at guard.<\/p>\n Roberts is a big fan of that decision.<\/p>\n \u201cIt sounds good to have a player that can play all five positions, but you don\u2019t do the guy any favors when you do that because they end up not being great at anything,\u201d Roberts said. \u201cThey just become serviceable at everything and not great at one thing.<\/p>\n \u201cAnd so I think they need a guard who\u2019s a guard. And he\u2019s that dude.\u201d<\/p>\n Listen to the full conversation with Ray Roberts at this link<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n Seattle Seahawks and the NFL Draft<\/p>\n \u2022 Rost: Seahawks\u2019 exciting draft picks have one thing in common<\/a>
\u2022 What experts are saying about the Seahawks\u2019 2025 draft class<\/a>
\u2022 2025 Seattle Seahawks Draft Breakdown: A look at all 11 picks<\/a>
\u2022 Five additional things to know about Seattle Seahawks\u2019 top pick Grey Zabel<\/a>
\u2022 Seattle Seahawks Draft Reaction: Brock and Bump on Grey Zabel<\/a><\/p>\n
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