RENTON — As the 18th pick in the NFL draft finally came around for the Seahawks on Thursday night, deciding to take guard Grey Zabel of North Dakota State became a no-brainer in more ways than one.
First was the obvious reason that Zabel fills a big hole, with the team hoping he can step right into a starting guard spot, likely on the left side.
By the time that pick came around, though, the Seahawks could also see that the first-round run on offensive linemen many predicted was indeed happening.
full coverage seahawks 2025 draft
Zabel was the fifth offensive linemen taken. There would be three more for a total of eight among the first 32 picks.
Seattle, in other words, couldn’t really afford to wait if it wanted to assure it got one of the better offensive linemen in the draft.
Seahawks general manager John Schneider said it became apparent this week how much teams might target offensive linemen.
After drafting one, the Seahawks can turn their attention to other areas when the draft reconvenes in Green Bay, Wis., at 4 p.m. Friday with Rounds 2 and 3.
The fourth through seventh rounds are on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m. PT. All three days of the draft are being televised on ESPN, ABC and NFL Network and streamed on ESPN Plus.
Seattle has four picks Friday, at 50 and 52 in the second round and 82 and 92 in the third. Two of those came in the trades for DK Metcalf (52) and Geno Smith (92).
“It’s exciting,” Schneider said. “Still some damn good players up there. We’re excited to keep rocking. … (Friday) is going to be fun as well, because there’s a lot of really good players up there.”
Having four picks also means the Seahawks have draft capital to move up if they see someone they want falling in the 33-49 range — but also enough to consider trading down to get more picks later, or for next year.
“If we can find people that want to move around (the Seahawks will consider it),” Schneider said. “ … We feel like we’re going to be able to impact our team with our kind of guys, with respect to all the guys that are here right now, bringing in people that we’ll be able to work with them, compete with them. Yeah, just continue down that path of competing every day and adding as much depth as you possibly can.”
Seattle will have to wait out 17 picks before its turn comes Friday.
But here are some players who might be available then:
QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama: Shedeur Sanders not getting picked was the big national story of the first round. Many assume he is likely to go to Cleveland with the first pick Friday at No. 33. If that happens, that could push down Milroe, the former Alabama star. Could Seattle be tempted? It’s worth wondering, because Schneider has said the recent signing of Drew Lock doesn’t rule out Seattle adding a QB in the draft. Milroe might be worth a flyer.
Safety Nick Emmanwori, South Carolina: Some figured he could be a target for Seattle at No. 18. Instead he fell out of the first round, and Pro Football Focus on Thursday night speculated he could fall into the mid-40s. If he gets to 50, Seattle might leap.
Cornerback Shavon Revel, East Carolina: Revel is considered by many as a first-round talent, but an ACL injury suffered last season has complicated things. He doesn’t figure to fall too far Friday.
Edge Bradyn Swinson, LSU: Boston College’s Donovan Ezeiruaku is still available after being mocked by many to go in the first round, and some predicting Seattle at 18. That means he may not be there at 50. But Swinson could, and he might make sense at 50 or 52.
Receiver Elic Ayomanor, Stanford: Ayomanor might not be the biggest name receiver left, but he could be a good fit for the Seahawks because he’s viewed as a true X receiver who can stretch the defense, a different style than Cooper Kupp and Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Ayomanor also is considered a good run blocker.
Running back Cameron Skattebo, Arizona State: This is considered a good and deep running back class, and the Seahawks seem likely to add one. The depth of the class may mean Seattle doesn’t have to do that in Rounds 2 and 3. But if the Seahawks do, Skattebo could be a good fit as a versatile back who ran for 1,712 yards last season and caught 44 passes for 543 yards. Some have surmised he could handle some fullback snaps.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The opinions expressed in reader comments are those of the author only and do not reflect the opinions of The Seattle Times.