The Athletic has live coverage of the second and third rounds of the 2025 NFL Draft. Read more of The Athletic’s coverage from the 2025 NFL Draft: Best Players Available | Draft Grades | Winners & Losers
The Seattle Seahawks entered the 2025 NFL Draft on April 24 with 10 picks over the three-day event.
General manager John Schneider has said previously he believes interior offensive linemen are overpaid and overdrafted, but that didn’t stop him from addressing the Seahawks’ biggest need in the first round, taking North Dakota State guard/center Grey Zabel at No. 18.
In Round 2, Schneider did not wait long to make a splash, sending pick Nos. 52 and 82 to the Tennessee Titans to jump up to No. 35 for Nick Emmanwori, a hulking safety from South Carolina who reminds some of former Seahawks great Kam Chancellor.
Keep coming back here throughout the draft for grades and analysis of each Seahawks pick.
Round 1
No. 18: Grey Zabel, G/C, North Dakota State
How he fits
One of the smartest football players in this class, Zabel played every position along the offensive line at a high level in college, turning down big-time money to stay at North Dakota State, before dominating at the Senior Bowl as arguably the best offensive lineman there. For a team like Seattle, which has been trying to fix the interior of its offensive line for half a decade now, this feels like an elite pick. Zabel, who helped run his family farm in college and will continue to do so during NFL offseasons, is one of the draft’s hardest workers. A high-floor player who fills multiple needs for a Seattle team that absolutely needed it. Awesome pick here and a great fit. — Nick Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis
A three-year starter at North Dakota State, Zabel was an All-America left tackle in offensive coordinator Jake Landry’s run-focused scheme (previously started at right tackle and both guard spots). He was part of an offensive line room that included Cordell Volson (2022 fourth-round pick) and Cody Mauch (2023 second-rounder).
Whether out in space or in confined areas, Zabel shines as a run blocker with his athletic range and grip strength to connect, strain and seal lanes. In pass protection, he can be walked back and surrender depth versus power, but he mirrors well and stays balanced through contact as he refits his hands to grind bull rushes to a halt. Overall, Zabel must prove he can consistently anchor against NFL power, but his light, flexible movements and strong hands keep pass rushers busy and displace defenders in the run game. A college tackle, he projects best inside, at either center or guard, where he will compete for immediate starting reps and offer Pro Bowl upside.
Michael-Shawn Dugar’s analysis
Grade: A+
Round 2
No. 35 (from Titans): Nick Emmanwori, S, South Carolina
How he fits
This is the best pick of the draft. Few players are as athletic or as potentially impactful as Emmanwori (6-foot-3 1/8, 220 pounds). He was a first-team All-American last year with two pick sixes, four interceptions overall and a team-high 88 tackles for South Carolina. Over three seasons in Columbia, Emmanwori started 36 games and affected the game in every facet. He’s a physical tackler with impressive speed (4.38 seconds in the 40). — Scott Dochterman
Dane Brugler’s analysis
A three-year starter at South Carolina, Emmanwori was listed as a free safety on the depth chart in defensive coordinator Clayton White’s flex-nickel scheme, but he lined up primarily in the box with some slot and deep snaps. Because of injuries on the Gamecocks’ roster, he was thrust into the starting lineup as a true freshman and became the program’s first defender since Jadeveon Clowney to earn freshman All-American honors. After leading the team in tackles in 2022, he did it again as a junior and was one of only three FBS players with multiple pick sixes in 2024.
Emmanwori does a nice job reading route concepts in underneath coverages, and he will make plays on the ball with his reaction quickness. Some of his reads and angles are inconsistent from depth, but he keys quickly from the box and plays with physicality (Derwin James is his idol). Overall, Emmanwori has the size, speed and mindset to play a variety of roles, although he projects best near the line of scrimmage, where he can blitz, be an eraser against the run and man up with tight ends and backs in coverage. He has the floor of an adequate starter and special-teamer, but his ceiling is exciting and will put him high on NFL teams’ safety stack.
Michael-Shawn Dugar’s analysis
Grade: A+
No. 50: Elijah Arroyo, TE, Miami
How he fits
An elite athlete with terrific size and a crazy catch radius, Arroyo is a 6-4, 254-pounder who runs, cuts and moves like a 200-pounder. A move tight end who should remind many in Seattle of Noah Fant, Arroyo is also a willing blocker who has enough speed to win over the top against safeties and linebackers. He also missed a ton of time in 2022 and 2023 due to an ACL injury. — Baumgardner
Dane Brugler’s analysis
A one-year starter at Miami (Fla.), Arroyo was an F tight end in offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s RPO-based version of the Air Raid, lining up mostly in the slot (51.6 percent of snaps) and occasionally inline (39.4 percent). He had just 16 combined targets over his first three seasons with the Hurricanes as he battled a knee injury, but then delivered a breakout 2024, leading the FBS in yards per catch among tight ends (16.9).
An awesome athlete at 250 pounds, Arroyo gets in and out of his breaks with efficiency and speed to consistently create separation, which makes him a threat to score any time he touches the ball (71.4 percent of his catches in 2024 resulted in a first down or touchdown). He will need to prove himself through contact in the passing game at the next level, where he won’t be given as much space to operate. Overall, Arroyo needs further development as a route runner and blocker to reach his ceiling, but he can bring an immediate vertical element to an offense with his speed, fluidity and focused ball skills. He is easy to project as an NFL starter and a weapon for which defenses must account.
Grade: A-
Round 3
No. 92 (from Lions via Jets and Raiders)
Round 4
No. 137 (compensatory)
Round 5
No. 172 (compensatory)
No. 172 (compensatory)
Round 7
No. 223 (from Saints via Eagles and Steelers)
No. 234
(Photo of Elijah Arroyo: David Rosenblum / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
