The NFL draft is an inexact science. Seattle Seahawks general manager John Schneider has experienced plenty of hits and misses throughout his long career as a football executive.
Though we all have opinions, none of us will know whether the 2025 draft will go down as a roaring success that helped return a stagnating franchise to prominence, or a massive failure that could lead to the end of his career in Seattle.
What is undeniable is that Schneider did not stand pat. He recognized that this is a team in transition and some big moves were necessary. That started last year when he completely overhauled the coaching staff. After the 2024 season, he began reshaping a roster that would be better suited to coach Mike Macdonald. The roster work is not done, but the recent draft was a significant step.
Schneider wheeled and dealed his way to eleven new players, tied for the most of any team in the ’25 draft. He signed a bevy of free agents as soon as the draft ended. I may quibble with a few of the individual selections, but I have to give him props for his overall game plan. He moved up when he saw an opportunity and moved back when it was convenient for him.
What were the best moves Seahawks' John Schneider made in the 2025 draft?
We would expect that most of the ’25 draftees will make the final roster, and those that do not would find a place on the practice squad. I think there's a decent chance that half of the eleven newest Hawks will make significant contributions in the coming season. In contrast, a few others will serve as developmental players who could provide depth or perhaps start down the road.
If that is indeed what happens, the 2025 draft will go down as a success. Let’s look at John Schneider’s five best moves in the 2025 draft.
5. Robbie Ouzts, Round five
Alabama tight end Robbie Ouzts was projected by many to go undrafted. He certainly does not fit the profile of a modern flex tight end. Schneider had already added that type of player when he chose Elijah Arroyo in round two. In fact, by the time Seattle's compensatory pick late in round five came up, Schneider had already added a half dozen players.
This is one way Schneider used his leverage. Since he had already essentially gotten a normal year’s draft haul, he was able to secure Ouzts earlier than expected. Ouzts is an ideal scheme fit for what Klint Kubiak wants to do. He can serve as a traditional inline blocker and help the beleaguered line.
But more often, he will probably be in the backfield serving as an H-back, leading the way for Kenneth Walker and providing a massive target for Sam Darnold on checkdowns.
4. Ricky White III, Round seven
Schneider did not simply get a developmental depth piece at receiver with his final pick. He got a special-teams demon. That unit struggled under first-year coordinator Jay Harbaugh in 2024. White, who blocked four punts in his final season at UNLV, is also outstanding on coverage units. If he makes the roster – and that is never a lock for a seventh-rounder - he will make an impact right away.
Hopefully, he will also develop as a pass catcher. After a somewhat messy departure from Michigan State, he produced big numbers on offense, earned his degree, made the Dean’s List, and was a two-time captain for the Runnin’ Rebels. He may turn out to be a solid pro receiver. But he can be a success without ever achieving that.
Picking up a promising specialist is a brilliant move at the end of the draft. (This was part of the compensation Seattle got from trading back with New England in round four. The other thing they got was the pick that eventually became Shedeur Sanders with the Cleveland Browns.
3. Riley Mills, Round five
Schneider came up on the short end of the Sam Howell trade with The Commanders in 2024. Those are sunk costs. We can’t worry about that right now. At least he was able to move Howell during the ’25 draft and get compensation that led to Damien Martinez in round seven and Rylie Mills in round 5.
Martinez may prove to be a good running back, but Mills was the genuine steal here. He is a big, rangy interior lineman who Macdonald will flex out to end in specific packages. He is coming off a knee injury that probably knocked him off draft boards, but Seattle is an ideal landing spot.
Not only does Macdonald know precisely what to do with this type of player, but the Seahawks have plenty of veteran depth across the line, which will allow Mills to heal up and learn as a rookie. He will be logging serious minutes two to three years down the road, which is a solid return for a fifth-round pick.
2. Grey Zabel, Round one
This one is simple. Schneider painted himself into a corner by allowing Laken Tomlinson to leave this year while not bringing in any obvious replacements at guard. It was already the weakest spot on the roster, so something had to be done.
Selecting Zabel was a virtual requirement. However, Schneider could have gotten cute and traded back, or stuck to his well-publicized philosophy of not taking interior linemen in the first round and tried to get by with lesser talent in rounds two or three.
Instead, he made the safe play, which in this case was the right thing to do. There was no obvious talent available to tempt him at this point into doing something different. Well, no one except...
1. Nick Emmanwori, Round two
This was the masterstroke. Schneider had draft capital to play with. He used it to move up in round two and take one of the biggest potential stars in this year’s class. Emmanwori is a spectacular athlete. Even if he needs polish, he showed plenty of times at South Carolina that he could translate those physical gifts into quality football plays. He should only get better with professional coaching.
Seattle didn't need a safety, and they didn’t draft one. They drafted a difference-maker who will be dynamic in Mike Macdonald’s defense. He is not a clone of Kyle Hamilton, but he will provide similar value to the Baltimore safety who keyed Macdonald’s Ravens’ defenses. It was a bold move that will pay off in a significant way.
Bottom line - John Schneider didn't have to choose between Emmanwori and Zabel. He got both of them, along with plenty of other promising players. That goes down as a win.