Seahawks draft much-needed offensive lineman in first round

John Schneider and his Seahawks are changing their approach on the offensive line, after all.

Seattle selected North Dakota State multi-position O-lineman Grey Zabel 18th overall in the first round of the 2025 NFL draft Thursday night.

The Seahawks list the 6-foot-6, 316-pound Zabel as a guard. He practiced at center at the Senior Bowl in late January. He’s also played tackle.

General manager John Schneider called Zabel while he was in the basement of his family home in Pierre, South Dakota. His parents, family, head coaches and line coaches — quite a bit of NDSU and Pierre — were in that basement Thursday night.

And they were equal parts celebrating and blown away.

“Oh, man, it was, like, a roller coaster of emotion. I mean, it’s just so unbelievable to, one, be drafted to an organization like the Seahawks and, two, to get that call with friends and family all around me.

“Man, it’s a lifelong dream to play in the NFL. And I’m super-excited to get to work.”

Zabel will be reuniting with his college offensive line mate in Seattle — and perhaps as fellow Seahawks starters. Schneider and coach Mike Macdonald have been touting how well Jalen Sundell, the Seahawks’ multi-position rookie free agent last year from North Dakota State, fits Seattle’s new offensive line system for 2025. Sundell will compete with Olu Oluwatimi to be the starting center.

Sundell’s sister Serena became a third-round choice of the Seattle Storm in the WNBA draft last week.

“So cool,” Zabel said. “I mean, Jalen, he was two years older than me. He mentored me at North Dakota State.

“To have a familiar face in the locker room, in the city, it’s going to be awesome. Lean on him heavily.

“He’s an unbelievable person, unbelievable player. I’m super excited to be reunited with him.”

Zabel is the first true college interior offensive linemen Schneider has drafted before the third round in 16 years as their general manager.

This is also the first time Schneider has drafted a player from the Football Championship Subdivision in the first round.

How rare was this? Schneider began his comments about selecting Zabel by noting this is the first time the Seahawks had drafted an interior offensive lineman in round one since they took Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson 17th overall in 2001.

The 53-year-old Schneider was Seattle’s 29-year-old director of player personnel under then-GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike Holmgren the last time the Seahawks did what they did Thursday night.

That’s how urgent the Seahawks’ need is at guard.

Hutchinson, now 47, is a consultant for the Seahawks who helps scout and vet offensive linemen, in particular. He interviewed Zabel at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Alabama, in late January.

“Yep. I got the privilege to do an interview with Steve Hutchinson down in Mobile, Alabama,” Zabel said. “And what an honor it was to be able to talk to him kind of through that process.

“It was super cool to experience that. I interviewed with them at the combine (in late February), and I knew that this was maybe a possibility.

“And I was kind of just holding my breath until pick 18.”

The Seahawks were holding their breath, too. They also coveted Tyler Booker, the true guard from Alabama. But the Dallas Cowboys drafted Booker at 12, as the first guard drafted.

Schneider and the Seahawks’ decision-makers feared a mini-run on guards would include one of the five teams between Dallas and Seattle taking Zabel.

“We got a little jiggy,” Schneider said.

That’s because the Seahawks let veteran left guard Laken Tomlinson leave this winter after one ineffective season with Seattle. The Seahawks used three starting right guards last season.

Since the 2024 season ended this past January with the Seahawks missing the playoffs for the second consecutive season, the team has hired Klint Kubiak as new offensive coordinator, veteran Super Bowl-winning line coach Rick Dennison as running-game coordinator and NFL veteran assistant John Benton as the new offensive line coach. Kubiak, Dennison and Benton are instilling a wide, outside-zone blocking scheme. It requires linemen who are athletic and quick running off the ball to areas outside the middle of the formation.

Zabel is seen as uniquely quick, athletic and agile for his size. That’s why they list him as a guard.

Zabel first played guard his freshman season at North Dakota State.

“I played right guard,” Zabel said, “and Coach (Dan) Larson (then NDSU’s offensive line coach, now offensive coordinator) was crazy enough to throw a true freshman in there and start some games. …

“I think it’s going to turn out pretty well that I’ve got some experience there.”

What fits him about guard?

“Just the type of style that I play, is quick, and I use my athletic ability to my benefit,” he said. “Basically, at the end of the day, it’s all mentality, playing offensive line.”

Scouts love that mentality, his tenacity, his quick and powerful hands.

Some scouts have concerns about Zabel’s strength, and the usual questions about the competition level at the FCS.

Yet Schneider and Macdonald saw Zabel impress in person at the Senior Bowl, plowing defensive linemen and linebackers from the top Football Bowl Subdivision.

That was obviously enough for the Seahawks

“I think it just showed teams the versatility, and just showed teams at the end of the day, it’s you’re playing football,” Zabel said Thursday amid the raucous celebration in his basement in Pierre.

“Everyone puts on the shoulder pads the same way everyone wears a helmet. And so being able to show people that doesn’t matter what level you come from, if you’re good enough, they’re going to find you.”

A different start to this draft

The draft began with the expected — then the unexpected.

Tennessee opened the picking by selecting quarterback Cam Ward, from Miami (and Washington State, and Incarnate Word). Ward will be throwing to Tyler Lockett; the former Seahawks mainstay announced Wednesday night he was signing with the Titans for an 11th NFL season. Seattle released him last month to save $17 million against the 2025 salary cap.

Ward was the only quarterback taken in the first 12 picks this year.

Last year, a record six quarterbacks got drafted within the first 12 picks.

At second overall, Cleveland didn’t select dynamic cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter from Colorado. The Browns traded the No. 2 pick to Jacksonville, which moved up from five to two. The Jaguars drafted Hunter instead.

Jacksonville and Cleveland swapped later-round picks in this draft — and the Jaguars gave the Browns a first-round pick in 2026 — to move up the three spots to get Hunter.

The first player taken Thursday who made sense to go to the Seahawks had he lasted to 18: Tetairoa McMillan. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver from Arizona went eighth overall, to Carolina. He’ll catch passes from quarterback Bryce Young in Carolina.

Texas stud offensive tackle Kelvin Banks went ninth to New Orleans. Many in the league believe Banks can start immediately at guard, too. That made him a possible fit for the Seahawks, had he lasted that long.

Last year, a record 14 picks in a row to start the draft were on offense.

This year, nine of the first 14 selections were for offense.