The Seattle Seahawks' 2025 draft is over, and it was a good one. At least, that is how it seems. We won't know for sure until some of the rookies produce.
Seattle took a quarterback, a needed quality interior offensive lineman, and a potential difference-maker on defense. General manager John Schneider received high marks for what he did. Now, the players need to produce.
But based on what the team did in the draft, some veterans need to be nervous. This might even mean offseason 2025 free agent acquisitions. These are the four that might need to be the most anxious based on the Seahawks draft.
These four Seahawks players need to be nervous based on Seattle's 2025 NFL draft choices
Quarterback Sam Darnold
Darnold has had one good season in his career, and that came last season. His six previous ones were underwhelming. There is no guarantee he will be suitable for the Seahawks at any point, and John Schneider made sure to cover his tracks when adding Darnold in free agency.
Nothing Seattle has done since adding Darnold should make the quarterback think he is sure to be the team's QB1 for many years to come. The team brought back Drew Lock, and he might be as capable in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's system as Darnold.
But the team did not shy away from choosing Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in the third round. Milroe is raw, but with exceptional athletic talent. He will need a year of seasoning, but he could play a significant part by 2026. In 2027, he could be the Seahawks' QB1.
Meanwhile, Darnold, who signed a three-year deal, is truly only on a one-year contract. He needs to do well in 2025 to be in Seattle in 2026.
Tight end Noah Fant
Fant is a decent player, but he has a high price tag. If Seattle were to release him, the team would save $8.9 million. Treating a player like that seems unlike John Schnider. He is more likely to give a player a chance to make big money in free agency and let them go before that begins in mid-March. But what the Seahawks did in the draft might make Fant expendable.
In the second round, Seattle chose Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo. He might not be ready to block professional defensive linemen, but he is probably prepared to beat safeties and linebackers in coverage. He is a wide receiver in a tight end's body. In other words, he is what Fant is, and Seattle doesn't need two of those types of players.
Safety Coby Bryant
Bryant did not have much of a chance to shine until midway through 2024. Before that, he began his career as a slot corner, but he was inconsistently horrible. He moved to safety, but was often injured and not productive. After Rayshawn Jenkins was hurt early last season and Bryant replaced him, the defense improved, and Bryant proved to be the ballhawk Jenkins never could be.
Bryant is expected to be a starter at safety next season, but he is also entering the final year of his contract. Seattle chose Nick Emmanwori early in the second round, and he has the raw attributes to be more physical than Bryant and create turnovers as well. He is Bryant's ultimate replacement, but he also might start ahead of the veteran in Week 1.
Wide receiver Marquez Valdes-Scantling
MVS needs to show he can be more than just a receiver who can go deep, and that's it. Plus, while he can create explosive plays, that is seemingly all he can do, and he does so inconsistently. He cannot be counted on to help the offense keep drives alive, but he can break off a long touchdown run every few games.
Seattle took Tory Horton in the fifth round, and he has the size (he is 6'3") and the speed to recreate what MVS does. But he might be more reliable down-to-down and help the Seahawks pick up the dirty first downs. Not everything needs to be pretty for a team to win. Horton might be able to help in the long term more than Valdes-Scantling.
