SEATTLE – The Seahawks didn’t zig or zag with their first-round pick this year.
The offensive line was widely considered as the team’s biggest area of need heading into Thursday’s first round.
And the Seahawks didn’t disappoint those who hoped they’d address it, taking offensive lineman Grey Zabel of North Dakota State with the 18th overall pick.
Zabel played guard, tackle and center in college but was listed as a guard in the announcement of his pick and it is expected he will compete for a starting spot there as a rookie.
The Seahawks have uncertainty at both guard spots after letting starting left guard Laken Tomlinson leave in free agency and with a revolving door on the right side a year ago.
Zabel, listed as 6-foot-6, 316 pounds, had been commonly mocked to the Seahawks due in part to the team’s needs on the offensive line.
In comments to Seattle media shortly after the draft, Zabel also noted that he had a few meetings with the Seahawks during the predraft process, including an interview with Hall of Fame guard Steve Hutchinson, who works with the Seahawks as a consultant. Those meetings he said had Seattle at the top of his list.
“There was a few teams that were a possibility, but in the moment you’re just kind of holding your breath until that phone rings and unbelievably grateful that was the Seahawks calling,” he said.
The Seahawks talked to teams over the past few days assessing options for moving down and adding to an already a solid haul of 10 picks for this year – or adding one for 2026.
Ultimately, they stayed put, as they had the past two seasons.
Zabel becomes the fifth offensive lineman of the 13 first-round picks made by Schneider since became the team’s GM in 2010 and the first since Seattle selected tackle Charles Cross ninth overall in 2022.
Others were: tackle Russell Okung (sixth overall, 2010), guard/tackle James Carpenter (25th, 2011) and guard/tackle Germain Ifedi (31st, 2016).
Zabel is the highest-drafted guard taken by Seattle since Hutchinson was taken 17th overall since 2001.
Zabel took snaps at all five OL spots in college but played all 961 snaps last year at left tackle and 686 at right tackle in 2023, according to Pro Football Focus.
He also played 211 snaps at left guard in 2023 and 152 in 2022 and that may be his most logical position starting out for Seattle.
Zabel also played 14 snaps at center in 2022 in an emergency role and said he got regular snaps at center in practice his first few years in college.
He also then got a lot of work at center at the Senior Bowl in January.
Zabel also played guard at the Senior Bowl, workouts that stamped him as one of the fastest-rising interior offensive linemen available in the draft.
While Zabel said he had not been told by the team where he will specifically start out playing, he said, “I’m assuming it’s going to be somewhere on the interior.”
Wrote Pro Football Focus in its predraft scouting report of Zabel:
“Zabel is a five-position lineman who brings everything but elite arm length to the position. He is an easy projected starter at center or guard for primarily a zone blocking scheme, but he is well-rounded enough to be run-game versatile.”
Zabel grew up in Pierre, South Dakota, and said he watched the draft there Thursday night in the basement of his house with family, friends and some high school and college coaches.
Zabel started 41 games in five seasons at NDSU, including the last 36 consecutively and all 16 at left tackle in 2024 as the Bison won the FCS national title.
Zabel said he had offers from Power Five teams to transfer following the 2023 season, at least some of which he said were in the six figures. But he turned them down, saying he wanted to stay at NDSU and prove he could make it to the NFL from the FCS level.
At North Dakota State, Zabel played alongside current Seahawk Jalen Sundell, who made Seattle’s roster last season as an undrafted free agent and enters the offseason program considered the backup center to Olu Oluwatimi.
Offensive line figured to be a need for Seattle following a season in which it was considered maybe the team’s biggest weakness.
The OL then appeared to become an even greater need when the Seahawks did little during the free-agent signing period to address it. Seattle didn’t bother trying to re-sign Tomlinson, who started every game last season at left guard, and he eventually signed with Houston.
Seattle made no additions at guard, signing only one free agent, Josh Jones, who projects as depth at both tackle spots.
Seattle last year used 2023 fourth-round pick Anthony Bradford the first 11 games at right guard and 2024 sixth-round pick Sataoa Laumea for the final six. Christian Haynes, a 2024 third-round pick, also got some snaps at right guard.
Those three figure to compete for that spot and at least one might also be tried on the left side.
But Zabel is undoubtedly being brought in with the hope that he will take over the left guard spot from day one.
Zabel had the fourth-best athleticism score of guards at the NFL combine, and Seattle feels that will be a good fit for the outsize zone scheme the Seahawks are going with this year under new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and line coach John Benton.
Zabel said he feels as if he will be a good fit for that scheme.
“The type to style that I play is quick,” he said. “Trying to use my athletic ability in my benefit.”
The Seahawks have four picks in the second and third rounds on Friday – 50, 52, 82 and 92.
Two of those were acquired in the trades for DK Metcalf (50) and Geno Smith (92). The Seahawks are hoping to use that haul to further invigorate a team that went 10-7 last season under rookie coach Mike Macdonald.