Nick Emmanwori named Seahawks' most-impactful rookie, but not their best

Not only did the Seattle Seahawks make the best free agent signing of the year, they also put together another very srong draft class.

The Seahawks' class of 2025 is so deep and making such a profound impact that it's difficult to pick out which one is the best in the bunch.

Case in point - here's what Josh Edwards at CBS Sports said when he was asked to pick Seattle's best rookie so far.

"Safety Nick Emmanwori been the most impactful, but in a smaller sample size. As a result, Zabel is the choice. He has willed Seattle's pass protection to be better this season."

To be fair, it is a tough call. Emmanwori has been a revelation since re-joining the lineup against Tampa. He plays all over, but Pro Football Focus has him listed as a cornerback, where he's already ranked 30th in the league.

Zabel's PFF grades may not be as good - but the simple fact is he's revolutioned Seattle's pass protection. Through 10 games Zabel has not allowed a single sack this season. He also the lowest pressure rate allowed of any rookie interior lineman in the league.

Full season pressure rate leaders among rookie offensive linemen after Week 10:

🥇 Grey Zabel, SEA - 4%
🥈 Tyler Booker, DAL - 4.6%
🥉 Tate Ratledge, DET - 4.7%
🏅 Josh Simmons, KC - 5.7%
🏅 Jared Wilson, NE - 6.4%

(min. 200 pass protection reps) https://t.co/SyR8VVwuZr pic.twitter.com/07CsWZojeh
— The 33rd Team (@The33rdTeamFB) November 13, 2025

Emmanwori and Zabel are the biggest stars in the class, but the Seahawks are also getting serious contributions from Tory Horton on both offense and special teams. Elijah Arroyo is also coming along as a pass-catching threat and Robbie Ouzts has proven a sensational blocker.

There's still a lot of football left to play, but this looks a lot like the best rookie class in the NFL right now.

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