After three days, over 600,000 rapid fans in colder-than-expected Green Bay, and 257 amateur players picked, the 2025 NFL Draft is in the books. Going into it, the Hawks were in a unique spot: Even though they barely missed the playoffs, there was a noticeable lack of talent on the roster that the front office had hoped to replenish with multiple off-season transactions involving many Seahawks stalwarts. It was obvious that the club was still trying to match Coach Mike Macdonald’s vision on both sides of the ball, particularly with the dismissal of offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb after one season.
So, this draft was instructive to see how general manager John Schneider would approach team-building in this new era. Would he still bet on high athleticism for the sake of production like before? Or would he go for safer prospects that could be immediate starters with limited upside? Turns out, a balanced approach made the Seahawks draft the talk of the sport.
Round 1, Pick 18: G/C Gray Zabel, North Dakota State University
Stop the presses–the Seahawks finally took an interior offensive lineman in the first round. In the 16 years that Schneider has been general manager of the Seahawks, this was his first selection of either a guard or center at the top of the draft. A common theme for the Seahawks’ approach this year was “break norms”. While Schneider has always coveted elite athletes (and this year was no different), his draft philosophy was beholden to “positional value”. In the draft community, tackles are the most coveted offensive line position, but that didn’t stop Schneider from taking the player most commonly mocked to the club. When asked about it, he said Zabel was the top-rated interior lineman on his board and that 18th overall was a “sweet spot” for that position. And what a player Zabel projects to be.
Manning the blind side for the two-time FCS national champion Bison, the part-time corn farmer and full-time Catan aficionado Zabel was a three-year starter at NDSU, appearing at every OL spot except for center…and then promptly dominated every rep in the Senior Bowl at the pivot, taking home Top OL honors and raising his stock into first-round status. NFL Draft Analyst Dane Brugler says in his annual draft guide that while he was a college tackle, “he projects best inside, at either center or guard” and offers “Pro Bowl upside” along the interior with “light, flexible movements and strong hands.” Mature and dedicated, Zabel turned down lucrative NIL offers from Power Four schools to stay in Fargo and play on the same team as his brother. “Buttoned-up, smart, tough, reliable. He’s our kind of guy,” said Schneider.
Given his name and his new city of employment, a smarter writer than me would make Grey’s Anatomy reference here, but let me just say new QB Sam Darnold must be looking at this smart, technically sound, positonally versatile people mover like he’s McDreamy, hopefully shoring up any interior pressure from the nasty defensive lines of the NFC West for years to come.
Round 2, Pick 35: S Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina
“How do you watch his tape and not see the potential of what he can become?” Coach Mike Macdonald gushed to the media after selecting the former All-American Gamecock. Commonly mocked as the first safety off the board, the toolsy (at the Draft Combine, he measured in at 6’3, lbs and ran a 4.38 40) Emmanwori slid to Day Two of the draft, wherein Scheider traded up with Tennessee, sending pick 52 and 92 (still equipped with the extra second and third round picks acquired in the Geno Smith and DK Metcalf trades) to welcome the defensive back to the Emerald City. “If we would have came out of the draft without him, we would have been disappointed”, Schneider revealed.
So what exactly are the 12s getting? Besides being an absolute freak athletically, Emmanwori was a three-year starter for an SEC defense where he put up ridiculous production– he led the team with 88 tackles and four interceptions, with two going to the house(which led the country). According to NFL Analyst Lance Zierlein, he can play “over the top, inside the box, or even match up with pass-catching tight ends”. He compares favorably to Baltimore Ravens All-Pro safety Kyle Hamilton. Even his new coach–and Hamilton’s old one–agrees.
“We found out with Kyle, the system allows for us to have multiple safeties on the field with enhanced coverage responsibilities”, said Macdonald. “Same with Nick.”
Emmnawori has the tools and talent to be a perennial All-Pro defensive chess piece a la Derwin James. Expect him to be deployed as a third safety on passing downs (think early career Tyrann Mathieu) to start the year with incumbent starters Julian Love and Coby Bryant present, to match up with the Trey McBrides and George Kittles of the world.
Round 2, Pick 50: TE Elijah Arroyo, Miami
Another trend bucked–Schneider had also never taken a tight end this high either. Who says old dogs can’t learn new tricks? If you put on the tape, you’ll see why–he’s a 6’5, 250 lbs ballerina. One word to describe the Frisco, TX native is smooth. He glides while running his routes, but he isn’t just a receiving threat–he showed he had that “dog” in him by being a willing and aggressive blocker for first overall pick Cam Ward and friends last fall.
If that sounds like a first-round talent, you’d be right, except it’s only one year of production–while he led all FBS tight ends last year with 17 yards per catch, he only had 16 combined targets in the three seasons prior as he battled injuries. So the question is whether he can stay healthy and how much his game can be refined as an older prospect, but he’s easily forecastable as an explosive vertical threat in the middle of the field for the GEQBUS. Macdonald certainly has already seen the vision.
“This guy can run an extensive route tree. He’s able to split out wide and do ‘X’ receiver-type things. And then he can be a tight end in line and create some of the bigger personnel formations. It provides a ton of value.”
Given that Noah Fant, a former major piece of the Russell Wilson trade, might be a cap casualty during training camp, Arroyo has a decent chance at becoming a day one starter.
Round 3, Pick 92: QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama
Schneider made another splash in the third round by selecting the raw-but-talented passer from Tuscaloosa. College football fans are familiar with the work of the former Crimson Tide signal caller, as he led Alabama to a College Football Playoff berth in 2023. “He’s a unique, special young man and athlete”, he said.
You can say that again, John. This is the closest prospect to Lamar Jackson since Lamar himself–a Ferrari of a quarterback. A rocket arm, built like a linebacker, the fastest player on the field. He was also raised in a military household, won the Academic Heisman last season, and led the team through the unexpected retirement of Nick Saban while most of the team transferred. He’s Clark Kent and Superman. He’s a Madden create-a-player come to life.
But this isn’t Madden–you can’t just spend XP and make all his stats go 99. It will take time, reps, and development to make him more of the player who elevated the team around him in 2023, than the inconsistent roller coaster ride that was 2024. While he had 20(!) rushing touchdowns in 2024, he threw ten picks and only five touchdowns during conference play.
But even still, the upside is too high to ignore or let slide down the board further, so this pick makes sense. Darnold won’t be the starter forever–it was time to start looking at the position’s future after the end of the Geno Smith era, and this is a good gamble to bet on. If it works, you’re geniuses who took one of the best players in the league at a value; if it doesn’t, he’s still a third-round pick that could fill a Taysom Hill-esque role with the right offensive mind (Macdonald said that Darnold is the starter but Milroe is competing for snaps in certain packages). If everything breaks right, he could be as good–or better–as the last third-round QB Schneider drafted.
With the selection of Milroe, Seattle had four quarterbacks on the roster, as they brought back Drew Lock on a one-year pact over the off-season, so someone had to go. Turns out it was Sam Howell, a year after the front office swapped a third and a fifth rounder for a fourth and sixth with the Washington Commanders to acquire him. The Hawks sent pick 172 and the third-year pro in exchange for selection 142. When you complete 5 for 14 throws for 24 yards and a pick in a must-win game during a playoff push, that doesn’t bode well for your status as a capable backup. Minnesota needed a developmental project after failing to re-sign Daniel Jones and only having Brett Rypien behind presumed starter JJ McCarthy, so it’s good business to move back and gain an additional pick for a player who no longer fits into their plans.
Round 5, Pick 142: DL Rylie Mills, Notre Dame
A three-year starter who played defensive end and tackle for the Gold Domers, he tallied 7.5 sacks and 8.5 tackles for loss(both led the team) before sustaining an ACL tear during the College Football Playoff. Positional versatility is highly coveted in coach Mike McDonald’s “Amoeba” 3-4 defense, so if his knee injury comes back clean, “his talent belongs in an NFL defensive line rotation”, says Brugler. He says he’s ahead of schedule recovery-wise, but look for him to contribute more meaningfully in 2026 and beyond.
The Cleveland Browns, in their everlasting pursuit of a franchise quarterback, decided to end the slide of all slides and traded up to select polarizing former Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders. Cleveland sent picks 166 and 192 to the Seahawks in exchange for pick 144. For a team straddling the line between rebuild and reset, trading down 20 spots while getting two more proverbial lottery tickets is good practice for a team full of holes on both sides of the ball.
Round 5, Pick 166: WR Tory Horton, Colorado State
The DK Metcalf Replacement. After the shocking trade of the former Pro Bowl receiver and release of longtime veteran Tyler Lockett earlier this offseason, Seattle needed to bolster their depth at pass catcher. And bolster they did with this intriguing size/speed combo, who made a lasting impression against the Colorado Buffaloes and second overall pick, Travis Hunter, last season. A physical specimen, Holton is 6’3 and 196 pounds and ran a 4.41 40, bringing some much-needed athleticism, fluidity, and size to the perimeter. He’s both dangerous downfield as a vertical deep threat and in space, as evidenced by his three punt return touchdowns in college. After suffering a knee injury that only allowed him to play in five games in 2024, Horton will compete for reps as a returner early in camp before pushing for snaps on the outside later in the season.
Round 5, Pick 175: TE/FB Robbie Ouzts Alabama
Dust off the neck rolls. A pivotal role in new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s outside-zone philosophy, Ouzts was announced as a fullback when selected, indicating the Seahawks’ vision for him: open up running lanes for Kenneth Walker and Zach Charbonnet and protect Darnold. AKA block, block, and block some more–and that’s okay with him. A throwback, old-school player who saw just 21 career targets in his years with the Crimson Tide but showed soft hands and good body control when the ball found him. Zierlien said it best: “Ouzts is built like an ironworker who has a squat rack in his garage.”
Round 6, Pick 192: G/C Bryce Cabeldue, Kansas
More help in a position the Seahawks did not address at all in free agency, probably due to the dearth of interior line talent in this draft. A four-year starter at right tackle for the Jayhawks, draft pundits agree his best fit is inside. Considering the Seahawks drafted multiple guards this weekend, he could compete with Zabel for a starting guard spot in Week One.
Round 7, Pick 223: RB Damian Martinez, Miami
A former Oregon State Beaver finds their way back to the Pacific Northwest. The self-proclaimed “Beast Mode 2.0” and former Pac-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year transferred to the ‘Canes from Corvallis after the departure of coach Johnathan Smith to Michigan State, where he averaged over six yards per tote. Martinez is an angry, tough runner who will grind you down or run you over–think Chris Carson or Thomas Rawls. He can also moonlight as a third-down back, as his tape flashed moments of elite pass protection and receiving upside out of the backfield. He will start the year battling Kenny McIntosh for the third running back spot behind Walker and Charbonnet.
Round 7, Pick 234: OT Mason Richman, Iowa
Started 52 games(most in the Kirk Ferentz era) for the offensive “juggernaut” Iowa Hawkeyes, so he’s had a lot of reps in a rugged Power 4 conference and a school steeped with tradition of technically polished offensive linemen. Brulger states, “Richman positions himself well to sustain in pass pro and shows good lateral quickness off the snap.” He projects as a high-floor, low-ceiling prospect who provides valuable depth.
Round 7, Pick 238: WR Ricky White III, UNLV
This feels like a fan-favorite in the making. Explosive before and after the catch (just ask the Michigan Wolverines), “Slick Rick”, the former Michigan State transfer, starred in the desert for the past three seasons, despite the Runnin’ Rebels, well, running a form of the triple option. During that time, he caught 218 passes for 3,143 yards and 23 touchdowns. He was third in the country with 1,483 yards in 2023, a school record.
Playing in a more balanced offensive system, where the personnel regularly features three receivers, should showcase his burst, hands, and toughness more frequently, both in the slot and out wide. Like Horton, he also brings an added dimension to special teams, blocking four punts in 2024. Watch out for him to make his mark on that side of the ball first, before carving out a role in the rebuilt Seahawks wide receiver room.
Most media outlets and fans agree that Seattle did well in this draft: they addressed needs all over the roster, and managed to snag some extra draft capital in the process. And while nine of the eleven picks were on the offensive side of the ball, Macdonald’s defensive scheme is renowned for a reason–it doesn’t rely on elite talent to perform at its best; it creates schematic advantages by leaving offenses guessing where the blitz will come from. The defense, through all its ups and downs, actually finished 11th in points per game, and there’s hope that continuity could lead to better results sooner. So, supporting a new offensive eco-system with new “students” makes sense from a team-building perspective, especially for a young coaching staff.
More importantly, the 12s also got the best lotto ticket in sports: a young, exciting, cost-controlled quarterback. They also added youth and speed to the skill positions that can grow and gain chemistry together. Coupled with a modern, run-heavy system that leans into their strengths, there’s a lot to like about what Seattle is doing on a macro level. If you squint, you can see the makings of a fun, explosive offense–not unlike the Ravens. Asked to describe this class, Schneider called them “ smart, tough, reliable, swaggy, athletic”. For a fanbase looking to reestablish the glory days of the Legion of Boom, that’s a good start.
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