NFL analyst ranks Seahawks' wild 2025 draft class best in the entire league

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You know you're doing something right when even your toughest critics admit hit you hit one out of the park. The Seattle Seahawks are getting near-universal acclaim for their picks in the 2025 NFL draft, and they've even earned a rare honor we haven't seen in a long time. According to at least one analyst, Seattle's draft class is the strongest in the entire league this year.
That honor comes from NFL national writer Vinnie Iyer at The Sporting News - who is normally pretty hard on the only team in the Pacific Northwest. He has ranked the Seahawks first on the strength of several valuable picks.
TSN ranks Seahawks draft class No. 1
"The Seahawks went down the line filling some key holes, as Zabel and Emmanwori provide immediate blocking and coverage help. Arroyo is a good target to add to their wide receivers in the new Klint Kubiak offense led by Sam Darnold. They didn't stop there with Horton's big-play threat and another option for 12 personnel. Milroe gives them a strong contingency for Darnold in the Jalen Hurts behind Carson Wentz mold. This was a great showing by John Schneider and Mike Macdonald in Year 2."
While their 2022 group was pretty strong - this is the first time that the Seahawks have really deserved consideration for this particular acclaim since the historic 2012 class that featured three franchise legends at the top in Bobby Wagner, Bruce Irvin and Russell Wilson.
It's of course way too early to tell if this group deserves to be called the best in the NFL, but at least on paper they have put together a wildly talented class of players and filled almost every roster need they had along the way.
We see two x-factors for this group, assuming that both Grey Zabel and Nick Emmanwori develop into the Pro Bowl talents we know they can be. The first is the offensive line, where Zabel gives Seattle one very serious upgrade inside, but the fact is the Seahawks needed at least two sure things to really improve the iOL and bring the unit overall up to even an average level.
Unless one of their Day 3 offensive tackles (Bryce Cabeldue and Mason Richman) blossom into a surprise star, odds are we'll be back here at this time next year wondering if the Seahawk have little choice but to use yet another first-round pick on a guard. That would be pretty close to an unforgivable, potentially career-altering error by general managerJohn Schneider, who's had a decade and a half to field a good offensive line and hasn't done it once.
The other big swing factor is of course the quarterback they took in Round 3 - Alabama's Jalen Milroe. Right now it seems like Milroe's career could break one of two ways: either he'll eventually get the opportunity he needs and deliver by spending the meantime working himself to the bone to improve the more raw elements in his game - or he'll crash and burn and won't even get a second contract in the NFL. Anything in-between is possible but also unlikely given just how high his ceiling is and how low his floor.
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Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.