The Seattle Seahawks' 2025 NFL draft is complete, and it was apparently much better than the 2024 draft. We won't know that for sure for a few years, of course. Some players chosen on Day 3 might become stars, like Richard Sherman and Kam Chancellor did. Players selected on Day 1 or 2 might not work out.
Let's hope every single choice the Seahawks made in the draft works out, but the truth is some of the players won't make the team. Seattle, like every team, only has 53 players on the roster, and suddenly having nine of them be rookies is not logical. Some of the draftees are probably going to fall to the practice squad.
But how did each pick grade? And how might each help the Seahawks sooner or later? Here are some truths and some guesses.
Grading each 2025 Seattle Seahawks draft pick (with a bold prediction, too!)
Guard Grey Zabel (North Dakota State) - First round, pick 18
John Schneider did the most un-Schneider thing ever and took an interior offensive lineman in the first round. Plus, he didn't just take any given guard; he arguably got the best guard in the entire draft. Zabel is strong and athletic and a perfect fit in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's scheme.
Grade: A
Bold prediction: This is, admittedly, not so bold. Zabel will start at left guard in Week 1 of the 2025 season. He will be a Pro Bowler for multiple consecutive years beginning in 2026.
Safety Nick Emmanwori (South Carolina) - Second round, pick 35
Someone in the first round should have drafted the Kam Chancellor clone. He is 6'3" and 220 pounds with lots of speed and tenacity. He will be a fantastic fit in Mike Macdonald's defense and will give Seattle the kind of intimidating force it has not had since Chancellor was wearing a Seahawks uniform.
Grade: A+ (due to where Seattle was able to steal him)
Bold prediction: Emmanwori will start as a rotational piece but become a full-time starter in 2026. He will replace Coby Bryant, who will leave in free agency.
Tight end Elijah Arroyo (Miami) - Second round, pick 50
Arroyo isn't much of a blocker currently, but he is 6'5" and 250 pounds and runs like a receiver. He will be a fantastic weapon over the middle of the field for quarterback Sam Darnold immediately. He is NFL-ready as a receiver, though he won't add much on rushing downs yet.
Grade: B+
Bold prediction: Arroyo will never make a Pro Bowl, but by the time he is done playing with the Seahawks, he will be the franchise's all-time leader in receiving yards among tight ends.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe (Alabama) - Third round, pick 92
The Seahawks approached taking a quarterback in the right way. The team chose Milroe when they didn't have to take a QB. This gives an athletically gifted player who has raw passing skills some time to develop. He might not play at all in 2025, and that might be a good thing.
Grade: B
Bold prediction: Milroe will get some reps next season in short-yardage situations, and he will be Seattle's starting quarterback in 2027.
Defensive end Rylie Mills (Notre Dame) - Fifth round, pick 142
The 6'5" and 296-pound defensive tackle is nothing if not versatile. Mills can play defensive tackle or end, and is strong enough to succeed at both. He might have been taken earlier in the draft except for an ACL tear in the first round of the College Football playoffs last year. He could be one of the steals of the draft.
Grade: B+
Bold prediction: Mills starts on PUP and plays sporadically in 2025. In 2026, he becomes an invaluable member of the defensive line rotation.
Wide receiver Tory Horton (Colorado State) - Fifth round, pick 166
Horton is another player coming off an injury, and that caused him to miss a lot of the 2024 season. He is tall at 6'3" and weighs nearly 200 pounds, and he ran a 4.41 40 at the Combine. Before his injuries, he was productive and scary for opposing defenses. He can also return punts.
Grade: A
Bold prediction: Horton is going to be a long-term Seahawk, and eventually be Marquez Valdes-Scantling's replacement. He will start as a punt returner, however, and return a punt for a touchdown as a rookie.
Tight end Robbie Ouzts (Alabama) - Fifth round, pick 175
More of a blocker than anything else, he seems like a natural replacement for Pharaoh Brown. That is not overly glowing, and Ouzts might have issues making the roster if Seattle keeps Noah Fant. In the 2010s, he probably would have been transitioned to the offensive line in Seattle.
Grade: C-
Bold prediction: Does not make the roster, and is signed to the practice squad.
Guard Bryce Cabeldue (Kansas) - Sixth round, pick 192
Almost exclusively an offensive tackle in college, Cabeldue's size and lack of overall athleticism should mean he slides to the interior in the NFL. He is 6'4" and 306 pounds, but is a good fit in Klint Kubiak's zone-blocking scheme. He should develop into a solid backup.
Grade: B
Bold prediction: Cabeldue sticks on the roster and starts five games over his first three seasons.
Running back Damien Martinez (Miami) - Seventh round, pick 223
Martinez could be the next Chris Carson for Seattle. Both were seventh-round picks, and big enough to have a bullish running style. Martinez is 6 feet, nearly 220 pounds, and has improved as a pass protector. He is a fantastic value pick so late in the draft.
Grade: A
Bold prediction: The Seahawks only keep three running backs active on the roster, and Martinez is one of them. He will replace Kenny McIntosh. Martinez will be a solid backup for several seasons in Kubiak's system.
Guard Mason Richman (Iowa) - Seventh round, pick 234
Richman was an offensive tackle at Iowa, but projects as a guard in the NFL. This means that Seattle selected three guards in the 2025 draft, although only one before the third round. He is 6'6" and 312 pounds, and allowed just seven total pressures at left tackle in 2024.
Grade: C
Bold prediction: Richman, in a crowed guard room, will be signed to the practice squad.
Wide receiver Ricky White III (UNLV) - Seventh round, pick 238
White is 6'1" and 184 pounds, and is not overly athletic. He will have a difficult time making the roster except for one key thing: He is electric on special teams. He could find a hard-earned spot there for Seattle.
Grade: C
Bold prediction: White does not make the active roster and is not signed to the practice squad.