Injuries limited Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo for two years, but once he got healthy, he became a high-level tight end.

After Arroyo showed his abilities in his strong 2024 campaign, the Seattle Seahawks picked the Hurricanes tight end with the 50th pick, in the second round of the NFL draft on Friday night.

“Arroyo’s just one of those different tight ends,” former UM quarterback and top pick Cam Ward said. “I think by the end of his career, he’ll be able to solidify himself as a top-10 tight end in the NFL. And that’s not even from just making plays, scoring touchdowns. That’s him just giving effort.”

Arroyo signed with the Hurricanes as a four-star prospect out of Frisco, Texas. He played sparingly as a freshman in 2021 before suffering a torn ACL that limited him in both his second and third seasons. Through his first three seasons, he had 11 catches for 163 yards in 23 career games.

But when Arroyo was fully healthy for the 2024 season, he excelled. Arroyo had 35 catches for 590 yards and seven touchdowns. His 590 receiving yards were the most for a UM tight end since Davis Njoku had 698 yards in 2016.

Although he has dealt with his share of injuries in his career, Arroyo hardly complains, Ward said. The new Titans quarterback said Arroyo is “one of the best teammates I had.”

“He works hard every day, even when he’s hurting,” Ward said. “He never complains in the locker room, never complains on the field. All he wants to do is motivate his guys to win.”