Of the guys that got picked, the only real twinges I felt were Barron (but prefer Revel and Johnson who are still on the Board), Campbell (but the injury thing is major) and Conerly.
Of the guys who remain, in addition to Barron and Johnson, only Mike Green (but character?) and maybe Ezeiruaku. Honestly in terms of R1 talent, not a lot left at 18. Which would explain why he didn’t trade down.
I don’t know…in such a thin draft, might have been better to bundle picks and move up?
But Zabel honestly was a very good or maybe even the absolute best pick at 18.
I think they prioritised their board on which talents they thought they would have access to in round 2. Grey Zabel and Donovan Jackson were the best fits for IOL, and they both went 1st round. Tate Ratledge was RG only, other options for left side were LT to LG converts that weren't in the same tier. I think they banked on similar value edges and CB being available at 50 as at 18. RT backup/future starter could be picked anywhere between round 2-5. I think Jihaad Campbell might have been ranked lower for the Seahawks because scouting reports are all crItical of his poor instincts.
He is probably the most athletic offensive lineman on the team now unless it is still Charles Cross. I think I am good with the pick. Just surprised by it.
This isn’t a loss for you, Ken. It’s a Seahawks swerve from a nearly unbroken track record. I would be curious to see the internal grades on all their players, because I do wonder if this one time they bent some rules to go for need, especially given the cornerbacks and wide receivers still on the board. The way the draft was loading up on trench players I bet Schneider felt he couldn’t risk waiting another 32 picks.
To add to the above, if the Seahawks wanted him at 25, and rumors are true they wanted to but had no one to trade back with, and didn’t love any of those other guys… then they did what they had to.
I think it was Albert Breer who wrote yesterday that he also needed work done on his other shoulder. If true, that's why he slide to the bottom of the 1st round, and may have been taken off Seattle's board due to the medical report.
I liked Barron, and I hate spending 18 on a guard. But since this class is thin,18 in 2025 is the same as 43 in 2024. Everyone is in the same boat. So spending a high pick on a player that maybe wouldn't be this high in other years is okay since all teams are picking from the same pool.
A long way to say I am not excited about it, but it was probably the right move.
Two years in a row of picking interior linemen with first pick, one DL & one OL. Sounds like the perfect way to build a team. It may not work out for any number of reasons, but is a solid plan. People seem to forget that Schneider has picked at least 5 OL in first round, so the real proof is in how well Zabel transitions to NFL caliber play. For now I’m very hopeful and satisfied with the pick. Now let’s get more help on day 2.
It's hard to get too excited about an O line pick, and especially a guard, but they may have drafted the player who would help the team the most right away. I'm scared to even check my Twitter/X mentions because I've been telling people not to get their hopes up for him because it probably wasn't going to happen. I just hope he was drafted because John felt he was the best pick and not from pressure from the ownership group, who as Pete Carroll himself said are not "football people."
FWIW...Donovan Jackson was 36 on the consensus board; the Vikings took him at 24. Zabel was 33, we took him at 18. Tyler Booker was 31, the Cowboys took him at 12. That suggests to me that teams -- including the Seahawks, to our surprise -- are putting a premium on IOL, at least in this draft cycle. Same with DL, at least a bit. Kenneth Grant was 23, Miami took him at 13. Derrick Harmon was 30, Pittsburgh took him at 21.
If IOL is pushing up ten-ish slots, that means Tate Ratledge and Marcus Mbow (62/63) might be in range for us at 50/52. Whether we want to double-dip is another matter, and it's also possible other teams get even more desperate. I think at this point I might wait until the third round, or even day three, to pick more IOL help.
I'm liking the attention our big down linemen are now getting around the League. They hold special attention from those in the hard construction trades. Ranchers. Farmers. Soldiering. A group dynamic is essential.
He was #1 on JS's board. So, to me, I like that consensus had GZ as #2. It gives me more confidence in JS's rating, especially when you consider he is so much more athletic than Booker, and fits our scheme and personality type. I feel like this is a high-floor pick with all-pro potential.
Good observation on trends changing around the league. When IOL free agent salaries/contracts reach new heights, as they have the last couple of offseasons, their draft value must increase as well.
Yeah Booker at 12 was a huge surprise. Is a monster and has a phenomenal mindset but he’s very slow, gotta see what happens when he’s up against NFL speed and explosiveness. Is why he wasn’t as high for me, even though he has a Seahawks mindset
I'm surprised at the pick, but very happy with it. JS certainly deviated from his history, but maybe this is just that one special guy they liked everything about. Hard not to like his combine performance, where he handled the best D-line prospects just fine. Also hard to not be impressed with his Combine numbers, which were exceptional, and would be exceptional in ANY Combine year. Crazy numbers for a guy over 300 lbs.
And, they must love the man. Farm kid. Turned down NIL money to stay at North Dakota. Should be a great addition to the line. Benton loved him, as did Hutch. You have an issue at guard, and he's sitting right there and you love everything about him. So they picked him. I hope it turns out great for him and the Seahawks.
There are some really good players left that could have gone in round 1 that didn't, so Day 2 will be interesting. Johnson's still sitting there for one, but there are others. TE? QB (Milroe?) maybe? We'll see.
This Guy will definitely help our OLine, he is big, powerful, athletic, has a great anchor and seems to have great hands.
What he also does pretty nice is getting to the second level with blocking multiple defenders on his way.
God I hope that Abe is staying healthy. With hopefully some improvement from Olu/Sundell/Haynes/Bradford we will be able to finally have a solid OLine.
Far more thoughts than I can type on like 3 hours of sleep...
I was wrong, but I'm far from upset at the pick. High for 18, maybe. But we clearly didn't get the trade back JS wanted, and all the slam dunk players had gone. So yeah, Zabel is ok.
Day 2 coming up. Four picks today in the meat of this draft. Today I'm more excited than yesterday by far. With the IOL need filled let's see JS earn his paycheck and truly spark our next Superbowl chasing era!!!
I wonder if we’ve been looking at this draft thing upside down…
As fans, our evaluations only go so deep. Teams are evaluating seven rounds and UFDAs. Don’t look up your draft board. Look down. Imagine that there are multiple WRs, CBs, Edge, TE, Safeties remaining that are really good. But IOL? What if the drop off to the next guard is steep.
In other words, it’s not Best Player Available; it’s Best Player Remaining At That Position.
It’s not a matter of getting a generational IOL; it’s a matter of getting the last really good one that doesn’t kinda suck. For day two, we still have lots of choices for other really good players that don’t kinda suck at their positions, so the selection is optimal.
When trading up over the next couple of days, maybe JS isn’t trying to get that guy he loves; he’s avoiding being left with choices that he doesn’t really like.
Think of the cliffs. If player quality at a position dropped off a cliff because of a pick ahead of you, who cares? It was out of your control. It’s in the past. The thing to watch are the cliffs that are yet to come.
It’s not BPA; it’s last good player at the position.
But because our evaluations aren’t that deep or nuanced, we can’t see ahead that far.
I think they were banking on their top-rated LG all being unavailable at 50, so took the best rated at 18. NDSU is getting quite on OL track record, so I hope he works out next to his best friend, Jalen Sundell. He better be playing LG.
Color me happy. I'm happy they stayed on the offensive side of the ball. I'm happy that they went looking for help on the line. I'm happy they are attempting to solve an obvious problem. This pick wasn't for the line, it was for Sam Darnold. I'm thinking that Sam Darnold might be happy too. I think this pick might help him more than another hands guy, or a defensive stud. Darnold is going to need all the protection he can get, probably more than Geno needed. I don't care that he's from a 'small' small school. He looks to me like a blue collar, durable, go to work every day kind of guy. I'm hopeful.
Who was left on the board at 18 that you think was at least as good of a pick as Grey Zabel?
Glad the Seahawks appeased the fans this year! Just relatively (quite) high for a player with his resume, but I'm 100% down for the player.
Of the guys that got picked, the only real twinges I felt were Barron (but prefer Revel and Johnson who are still on the Board), Campbell (but the injury thing is major) and Conerly.
Of the guys who remain, in addition to Barron and Johnson, only Mike Green (but character?) and maybe Ezeiruaku. Honestly in terms of R1 talent, not a lot left at 18. Which would explain why he didn’t trade down.
I don’t know…in such a thin draft, might have been better to bundle picks and move up?
But Zabel honestly was a very good or maybe even the absolute best pick at 18.
I think they prioritised their board on which talents they thought they would have access to in round 2. Grey Zabel and Donovan Jackson were the best fits for IOL, and they both went 1st round. Tate Ratledge was RG only, other options for left side were LT to LG converts that weren't in the same tier. I think they banked on similar value edges and CB being available at 50 as at 18. RT backup/future starter could be picked anywhere between round 2-5. I think Jihaad Campbell might have been ranked lower for the Seahawks because scouting reports are all crItical of his poor instincts.
He is probably the most athletic offensive lineman on the team now unless it is still Charles Cross. I think I am good with the pick. Just surprised by it.
He's one of the most athletic linemen ever at the combine. Crazy numbers for a big man.
His high jump was only 2inches below the top DBs and WRs, and he's 300+ lbs. Same exact athletic score as Creed Humphrey had.
I know, crazy. Big guy can run too. Really good job on reach blocks.
This isn’t a loss for you, Ken. It’s a Seahawks swerve from a nearly unbroken track record. I would be curious to see the internal grades on all their players, because I do wonder if this one time they bent some rules to go for need, especially given the cornerbacks and wide receivers still on the board. The way the draft was loading up on trench players I bet Schneider felt he couldn’t risk waiting another 32 picks.
To add to the above, if the Seahawks wanted him at 25, and rumors are true they wanted to but had no one to trade back with, and didn’t love any of those other guys… then they did what they had to.
Campell would have been very intriguing. Maybe the injury really scared them off
I think it was Albert Breer who wrote yesterday that he also needed work done on his other shoulder. If true, that's why he slide to the bottom of the 1st round, and may have been taken off Seattle's board due to the medical report.
The next three picks were all better...imo
The second best corner back in the draft
I like the pick but Will Johnson would have been an interesting choice…makes me think he didn’t pass his physical
He's still on the board. So, you never know.
I liked Barron, and I hate spending 18 on a guard. But since this class is thin,18 in 2025 is the same as 43 in 2024. Everyone is in the same boat. So spending a high pick on a player that maybe wouldn't be this high in other years is okay since all teams are picking from the same pool.
A long way to say I am not excited about it, but it was probably the right move.
I was intrigued by SSJs Matthew Golden article, but I am guessing that Derrick Harmon is the one that got away.
I see an unstoppable beast evolving, ala Tez.
But we'll see.
Every mock I did was a pretty big run on o line after 18 so I am happy with this pick
Thank you, Shamus!
Just worried about his ability to stop bull rushes from beastie boys.
The more I read and watch on him, the more excited I become. I am VERY optimistic about the rest of the draft
Zabel will become a household name in Seattle for hopefully many years to come.
Two years in a row of picking interior linemen with first pick, one DL & one OL. Sounds like the perfect way to build a team. It may not work out for any number of reasons, but is a solid plan. People seem to forget that Schneider has picked at least 5 OL in first round, so the real proof is in how well Zabel transitions to NFL caliber play. For now I’m very hopeful and satisfied with the pick. Now let’s get more help on day 2.
It's hard to get too excited about an O line pick, and especially a guard, but they may have drafted the player who would help the team the most right away. I'm scared to even check my Twitter/X mentions because I've been telling people not to get their hopes up for him because it probably wasn't going to happen. I just hope he was drafted because John felt he was the best pick and not from pressure from the ownership group, who as Pete Carroll himself said are not "football people."
Looking back from my perspective, the suspense was over once Miami took Grant: Zabel was then the natural default.
R2: NT and TE or WR
R3: CB and LB (or any two defensive players that MM likes)
Given the outcome when JS traded up to get Lockett and Metcalf, I wouldn’t object to trading up for a WR even if that meant ceding a Day 2 pick.
FWIW...Donovan Jackson was 36 on the consensus board; the Vikings took him at 24. Zabel was 33, we took him at 18. Tyler Booker was 31, the Cowboys took him at 12. That suggests to me that teams -- including the Seahawks, to our surprise -- are putting a premium on IOL, at least in this draft cycle. Same with DL, at least a bit. Kenneth Grant was 23, Miami took him at 13. Derrick Harmon was 30, Pittsburgh took him at 21.
If IOL is pushing up ten-ish slots, that means Tate Ratledge and Marcus Mbow (62/63) might be in range for us at 50/52. Whether we want to double-dip is another matter, and it's also possible other teams get even more desperate. I think at this point I might wait until the third round, or even day three, to pick more IOL help.
I'm liking the attention our big down linemen are now getting around the League. They hold special attention from those in the hard construction trades. Ranchers. Farmers. Soldiering. A group dynamic is essential.
He was #1 on JS's board. So, to me, I like that consensus had GZ as #2. It gives me more confidence in JS's rating, especially when you consider he is so much more athletic than Booker, and fits our scheme and personality type. I feel like this is a high-floor pick with all-pro potential.
Good observation on trends changing around the league. When IOL free agent salaries/contracts reach new heights, as they have the last couple of offseasons, their draft value must increase as well.
Yeah Booker at 12 was a huge surprise. Is a monster and has a phenomenal mindset but he’s very slow, gotta see what happens when he’s up against NFL speed and explosiveness. Is why he wasn’t as high for me, even though he has a Seahawks mindset
Even a broken clock is right twice a day
I'm surprised at the pick, but very happy with it. JS certainly deviated from his history, but maybe this is just that one special guy they liked everything about. Hard not to like his combine performance, where he handled the best D-line prospects just fine. Also hard to not be impressed with his Combine numbers, which were exceptional, and would be exceptional in ANY Combine year. Crazy numbers for a guy over 300 lbs.
And, they must love the man. Farm kid. Turned down NIL money to stay at North Dakota. Should be a great addition to the line. Benton loved him, as did Hutch. You have an issue at guard, and he's sitting right there and you love everything about him. So they picked him. I hope it turns out great for him and the Seahawks.
There are some really good players left that could have gone in round 1 that didn't, so Day 2 will be interesting. Johnson's still sitting there for one, but there are others. TE? QB (Milroe?) maybe? We'll see.
I was so tired of the pre Draft process, that I am finally happy to watch tape of a "REAL" Seahawk now instead of guessing who may become one.
I watched about 200+ snaps of Grey Zabel now...
This Guy will definitely help our OLine, he is big, powerful, athletic, has a great anchor and seems to have great hands.
What he also does pretty nice is getting to the second level with blocking multiple defenders on his way.
God I hope that Abe is staying healthy. With hopefully some improvement from Olu/Sundell/Haynes/Bradford we will be able to finally have a solid OLine.
Once Campbell was sliding, I somehow knew that the Eagles will Pick him up...
Far more thoughts than I can type on like 3 hours of sleep...
I was wrong, but I'm far from upset at the pick. High for 18, maybe. But we clearly didn't get the trade back JS wanted, and all the slam dunk players had gone. So yeah, Zabel is ok.
Day 2 coming up. Four picks today in the meat of this draft. Today I'm more excited than yesterday by far. With the IOL need filled let's see JS earn his paycheck and truly spark our next Superbowl chasing era!!!
I wonder if we’ve been looking at this draft thing upside down…
As fans, our evaluations only go so deep. Teams are evaluating seven rounds and UFDAs. Don’t look up your draft board. Look down. Imagine that there are multiple WRs, CBs, Edge, TE, Safeties remaining that are really good. But IOL? What if the drop off to the next guard is steep.
In other words, it’s not Best Player Available; it’s Best Player Remaining At That Position.
It’s not a matter of getting a generational IOL; it’s a matter of getting the last really good one that doesn’t kinda suck. For day two, we still have lots of choices for other really good players that don’t kinda suck at their positions, so the selection is optimal.
When trading up over the next couple of days, maybe JS isn’t trying to get that guy he loves; he’s avoiding being left with choices that he doesn’t really like.
Think of the cliffs. If player quality at a position dropped off a cliff because of a pick ahead of you, who cares? It was out of your control. It’s in the past. The thing to watch are the cliffs that are yet to come.
It’s not BPA; it’s last good player at the position.
But because our evaluations aren’t that deep or nuanced, we can’t see ahead that far.
He was the #1 rated iOL on their board, #2 was gone (Dallas at 1.12), and the drop off to 3 and beyond was cavernous. Agree with you 100%!
I think they were banking on their top-rated LG all being unavailable at 50, so took the best rated at 18. NDSU is getting quite on OL track record, so I hope he works out next to his best friend, Jalen Sundell. He better be playing LG.
Color me happy. I'm happy they stayed on the offensive side of the ball. I'm happy that they went looking for help on the line. I'm happy they are attempting to solve an obvious problem. This pick wasn't for the line, it was for Sam Darnold. I'm thinking that Sam Darnold might be happy too. I think this pick might help him more than another hands guy, or a defensive stud. Darnold is going to need all the protection he can get, probably more than Geno needed. I don't care that he's from a 'small' small school. He looks to me like a blue collar, durable, go to work every day kind of guy. I'm hopeful.
Safe but boring pick! Let’s go forward with some more good picks. We needed the trenches upgraded. It’s a good start.