With the 18th pick in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks selected Grey Zabel, a guard out of North Dakota State. Grey was one of the top-ranked guards in his draft class, as he has proven to be versatile, playing every position on the offensive line during his college career. He is incredibly explosive for his size, with an 87th percentile broad jump and a 99th percentile vertical jump. Not to mention, he had a 93.1 pass blocking grade as a tackle, according to PFF.
There are some very valid concerns with him, however. His shorter arm length was a serious concern at times, especially when he played tackle. While many think that transitioning from tackle to guard isn’t as challenging as the reverse, it has its own challenges. It requires faster reflexes and more power, as guards have less room to work with than tackles and go up against the bigger, stronger defensive tackles. This change of position isn’t easy and could be difficult for Zabel. The biggest concern is that Grey played in the FCS and didn’t face the toughest of competition. Jumping to the NFL could prove to be too much for him.
The Seattle Seahawks had an excellent 2025 rookie class, with many experts ranking it as arguably the best draft class in the league. There’s a real chance that some of the players the Seahawks drafted on day two or three could provide tremendous value. With that in mind, here are three Seattle Seahawks draft picks that will outperform their first-round pick, Grey Zabel.
Nick Emmanwori
The Seattle Seahawks showed just how much they loved South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori by trading the 52nd and 82nd overall picks to select him at pick 35. Nick might’ve been the freakiest athlete in the entire draft. He is imposing, standing at 6’3", 220 pounds. He runs a 4.38 40-yard dash, has a 43-inch vertical, an 11’6" broad jump and put up 20 reps in the bench press drill.
It's not like this athleticism didn’t translate to the field. Last season, he was named First-Team All-SEC and a First-Team All-American. He was excellent in coverage, with an 86.8 coverage grade according to PFF, which is incredibly difficult, especially in the SEC. While he did struggle with some consistency issues, especially in run defense, he certainly has the traits to be a truly special player.
Fortunately for the Seahawks, it seems like those traits are already translating to practice. Nick has been an absolute ball hawk so far, with three interceptions in training camp last week. Additionally, Seattle has been lining him up at several positions, playing at safety, nickel corner, and even outside linebacker.
That versatility will be critical for Nick to earn a starting spot on the roster. He could easily play a similar role as First-Team All-Pro Kyle Hamilton from the Baltimore Ravens. This was probably the vision of Seattle Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald, as he was the former defensive coordinator for the Ravens when they drafted Kyle Hamilton. While it would be a lot to ask from the rookie, Nick Emmanwori certainly has all the tools needed to do it.
Elijah Arroyo
Former Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo was a huge gamble for the Seattle Seahawks to select with the 50th overall pick. Elijah is a true projection as a tight end prospect, since his college career was riddled with injuries, and he didn’t have a full season of starts until 2024. Additionally, even in a full season of starting, he had significantly fewer targets compared to the other tight ends of the class.
However, when he was targeted, he made it count. On just 35 catches, he had 590 yards and seven touchdowns. That’s more than the 10th overall pick, Colston Loveland, this season, who had over 30 more targets. Typically, when you think of tight ends, you think of short-yardage receptions, but that’s not the case with Arroyo. He averaged 16.9 yards per reception, which ranked first among all tight ends that had over 40 targets.
What came as no surprise to any Seattle Seahawks fan was the release of tight end Noah Fant this offseason. Noah was acquired by the Seahawks through the Russell Wilson trade with the Denver Broncos back in 2022. While Fant had a lot of potential joining Seattle, unfortunately, his production dipped after the trade, and he hadn’t lived up to expectations.
Luckily for Elijah Arroyo, that means that there is a starting tight end spot up for grabs. So far, it seems like a close competition. Second-year tight end AJ Barner has been a surprisingly valuable target in practice and has been “tough and swaggy”, according to general manager John Schneider. However, Arroyo has been lighting it up and has been catching everything, no matter the quarterback. Whether it be Sam Darnold or even rookie Jalen Milroe. Elijah Arroyo’s athleticism, deep-threat ability and ball security certainly could secure him a spot as the third pass-catching option behind Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp.
Tory Horton
This pick may come as a surprise to some, considering where he was selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. Former Colorado State wide receiver Tory Horton slipped to the fifth round and was selected with the 166th overall pick. However, his talent and overall college production far exceed his draft spot.
The only reason Tory fell to the fifth round is that in his final college season, he suffered a knee injury that kept him out of the majority of the season. Before the injury, he was coming off two consecutive seasons with over 1,000 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in each, which earned him two First-Team All-Mountain West selections in 2022 and 2023. Unlike other small school players, Tory Horton had no issues adjusting to tougher competition. When fully healthy, against Colorado in 2023, Tory Horton torched 2025 second overall pick Travis Hunter with 16 receptions for 133 yards and a touchdown.
From what we’ve seen from Tory Horton in practice, he hasn’t skipped a beat. So far in training camp, he’s been consistently making big plays every day, showing that 4.41-second speed. It has seriously impressed the Seattle Seahawks roster with fellow rookie Nick Emmanwori calling him “the steal of the draft”. Some teammates have gotten so hyped by Horton’s performance that cornerback Riq Woolen was shouting “Jerry Rice Jr.”, repeatedly while Horton was speaking to reporters.
Tory Horton has not only locked a spot on the 53-man roster but might be in position to secure the fourth wide receiver spot. Currently, that spot belongs to Jake Bobo, but it doesn’t seem like it will be for long. Tory has been consistently getting reps with the starters on the team and was ranked above Bobo in the depth chart for Friday’s practice. While his impact may not be felt right away, there’s a chance that Tory Horton eventually becomes the go-to deep-threat for this team.