The departure of both DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett this offseason means the Seattle Seahawks are going to have a passing game that is going to vastly different than what fans have become accustomed to over the last five years.
While much of the talk about this Seattle passing game has been centered around Sam Darnold, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, and Cooper Kupp — one analyst believes an uber-versatile Seahawks rookie could have a big impact on the passing attack in 2025.
Seahawks Rookie TE Elijah Arroyo Predicted to Have an Instant Impact in 2025
Damian Parson of Bleacher Report recently dropped the names of five rookies who could make an instant impact in 2025. Seahawks rookie TE Elijah Arroyo was one of the five names mentioned in this article.
“Elijah Arroyo‘s chances of being an impact rookie went up on July 20, when the Seattle Seahawks released veteran tight end Noah Fant,” wrote Parson. “Arroyo is an uber-versatile playmaker who moves like an extended wide receiver. With Fant’s departure, he has a realistic opportunity to climb into the starting lineup.”
After catching just 11 passes through the first three years of his collegiate career at the University of Miami, Arroyo had a breakout year with Cam Ward under center in 2024 with 35 receptions for 590 yards and seven touchdowns.
Despite the slow start to his college career, Arroyo flashed a ton of potential in 2024.
Parson added, “Arroyo is a smooth route-runner with the ball skills to be a red-zone weapon for Sam Darnold and the Seahawks offense. He started his NFL spring workouts a little slow, dropping passes. But the second-round pick has been catching everything thrown his way since, per reports.”
How Will Arroyo Be Used in Klint Kubiak’s Offensive Scheme?
The complete overhaul of the Seattle roster on the offensive side of the ball makes this a tough offense to predict in 2025.
One could make a argument that the top two receiving options in the offense — Smith-Njigba and Kupp — have overlapping skill sets, which makes projecting their production in a new offensive scheme a tricky exercise.
Perhaps this is why Parson feels like Arroyo could be a big beneficiary in the passing game with all of this uncertainty entering the 2025 NFL season.
“Tight ends are usually the QB’s safety blanket when chaos strikes in the backfield,” wrote Parson. “If things hold firm and Kubiak continues to place Arroyo across the formation, he should become a priority for Darnold whenever his receivers are facing more resistance than expected post-snap.”
Smith-Njigba feels like the definitive WR1 in the offense after his breakout season in 2024 with 100 receptions for 1,130 yards and six scores, but has a new scheme and quarterback to quickly develop rapport with entering the upcoming season.
Kupp had one of the best individual seasons in NFL history with 145 receptions for 1,947 yards and 16 touchdowns back in 2021, but has failed to top 80 receptions or 1,000 yards in the three seasons since his historic year.
Could Arroyo emerge as the third option in the passing game above players like Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Jake Bobo, and Tory Horton? It certainly feels within the range of possible outcomes.
A productive pass-catching TE has been missing from this offense for a while now. If this prediction about Arroyo comes true, then both Arroyo and this passing offense could turn some heads in 2025.
