All-Pro defender says Seahawk rookie Grey Zabel can be "one of the best."

The evidence is clear; the Seattle Seahawks nailed their 2025 first round pick when they selected North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel with the 18th selection.

And now, after starting all 17 games for the 14-3 Seahawks and ranking near the top of the league in several key metrics, he's starting to gain the attention of observers outside the Pacific Northwest. Not the least of which is 3-time All-Pro defensive tackle Jeffery Simmons.

Speaking with host Kevin Clark on the "This Is Football" podcast, the Tennessee Titans star was asked about which offensive linemen were the most difficult for him to face this season. He started with 49ers All-Pro Trent Williams before turning his attention to Zabel.

"I’ve got tremendous respect for the rookie. They believe in him and I think he’s gonna be, pretty soon, one of the best guards in this league. I’ve faced some good ones, like Quinton Nelson twice a year, I say he has that type of potential.
Jeffery Simmons, Titans DT

Did he just say Quinton Nelson, he of the SIX All-Pro selections over his first eight seasons with the Indianapolis Colts?! That Quinton Nelson?!

High praise, indeed.

Simmons faced Zabel in Nashville, TN November 23rd, a 30-24 win for the Seahawks. In that game, Zabel helped limit Simmons to the point his name was rarely mentioned on the broadcast. Simmons finished the game with just two tackles and a single QB hit.

We will be talking about this today as well. The best DT in the NFL had plenty of praise for Grey Zabel https://t.co/NHHQl09KFC
— Mike Lefko (@MikeLefko) January 15, 2026

On the season, Zabel finished first overall in ESPN's Pass Rush Win Rate metric, a position he held throughout most of the year. His pass protection had it's ups and downs early in the season but the rookie played his best football at season's end. In Seattle's week 18 win over the San Francisco 49ers to clinch the NFC west division title and the No. 1 seed in the conference, Zabel earned an overall grade of 93.4 from Pro Football Focus - the highest grade given to any player in the league that week.

His 2025 performance is one of many reasons behind a much-improved Seattle offensive line, a position that's been a thorn in the Seahawks side for almost a decade. They simply don't set a franchise record for regular season wins without the development of that unit this season.

Zabel is used to playing post-season games, having won two FCS national championships with the Bison. But the lights will be significantly brighter as he takes the field for his first experience in an NFL playoff game when his Seahawks host the 49ers at Lumen Field in Seattle, WA Saturday at 5:00 p.m. PST.

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