The long-held assumption for the Seattle Seahawks in any given NFL draft is that the team will trade down and try to find a player they need. General manager John Schneider has not done this in the last few drafts, so maybe the new way for Seattle is to stand pat. That removes some of the fun and frustration from early Seattle drafts.
2025 might be a more challenging year to find a trade partner. The general thinking appears to be that there are only 15 prospects with a first-round grade at most. The Seahawks choose at number 18, so all those guys might be gone. If one does fall to Seattle, then the team should probably take that player.
Sports Illustrated recently had a bit of fun with potential trade possibilities for every team. While this will never happen, there is a chance that some situations may unfold that allow Seattle, for instance, to trade down. In SI's scenario, Seattle would be a winner.
Seahawks trade down and still get Grey Zabel? Yes!
The idea is that Seattle would trade with the Houston Texans, where Houston would receive the Seahawks' 18th pick, and Seattle would receive the Texans' 25th pick and the 79th overall pick. The move would give Seattle six picks in the top 92, and one can easily imagine Schneider would love that opportunity.
Plus, even though Seattle slides down to 25, the team is still able to do the most un-Seahawks-y thing ever. That is, Schneider would choose North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel. Zabel has been incredible in all of his offseason workouts, including dominating at center, a position he had never played before, during Senior Bowl week this year.
In other words, Zabel would likely be a Week 1 starter for the Seahawks in 2025, but an upgrade at either guard spot or at center. Where to play him is a decision for head coach Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak. Zabel would likely be better at any of the interior offensive line spots than whoever Seattle has on its pre-draft roster.
He is 6'6" and 312 pounds with elite athleticism. His vertical leap at the NFL combine was 36.5 inches, which is astonishing for a player his size. He also did 26 reps on the bench press, while making his opposition seem ridiculous during Senior Bowl practice.
If the Seahawks move down to 25 and still get Zabel, the team should receive at least a B grade for the entire draft. John Schneider needs to pull off the trade and then make the pick.
