Where ESPN ranks Seahawks' Grey Zabel among this year's rookie class

After years of average or mediocre play from the offensive line, the Seattle Seahawks made a big investment this past offseason to improve the unit. One of the biggest moves to improve the offense is through the 2025 NFL Draft, where North Dakota State star guard Grey Zabel was there for the Seahawks to take at No. 18.

Through the offseason and the 12 games played, Zabel is as good as projected. He has been one of the more consistent offensive linemen, and he still has room to grow to get even better.

Zabel has been placed at No. 7 on ESPN’s top rookies this season, going into Week 14. ESPN has given Zabel a 91% win rate on pass protections and an 84.6% win rate on run blocking. He is the second-highest graded offensive lineman behind the New York Jets’ Armand Membou.

As a pass-protector, he is one of the most consistent and reliable blockers for the Seahawks. Zabel is the Seahawks’ interior linemen version of tackle Charles Cross, who plays next to him. While there is room to grow as a run-blocker, Zabel has been incredibly productive at helping develop the run-game either by climbing to the second level of the defense or going to the outside and helping block incoming defenders.

The Seahawks have become one of the most productive offenses this season. Seattle is averaging 29.2 points per game (tied for third in the league), 235.6 passing yards per game (ninth in the league), and 116.9 rushing yards per game (18th in the league). A lot of it is due to the development of the offensive line, especially in the interior area, to help create more efficient run lanes and keep the pocket clean for quarterback Sam Darnold.

Zabel has already shown so much poise and development this season. It’s similar to how well Cross and right tackle Abraham Lucas started in their rookie seasons for the Seahawks. It was potentially a much more difficult transition for Zabel as he went from the FCS to the NFL, facing more developed players at the defensive line.

It is still early in his career, but Zabel has shown himself to be another stellar first-round pick by the Seahawks. He could be one of the top offensive leaders for years to come on a talented offensive line unit.

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