General manager John Schneider might be having the complete opposite kind of offseason than he had last year for the Seattle Seahawks. Schneider's 2024 draft class is still iffy, and none of his free agent signings worked out extremely well. 2025 is different.
Instead of making it a priority to only sign the team's free agents, Schneider wasn't afraid, after making massive changes offensively, to chase higher-priced free agents. In the 2025 draft, Schneider took an offensive lineman in the first round, and then filled immediate needs and future concerns the rest of the way.
One of those picks might be flying under the proverbial radar in comparison to the Seahawks taking Grey Zabel in round one, safety Nick Emmanwori in the second round, and quarterback Jalen Milroe in round three. Among that group of picks, Schneider chose Elijah Arroyo in the second round.
Elijah Arroyo could turn out to be the Seahawks' best move of 2025
There was some concern that Arroyo might not be ready to fully go in organized team activities (OTAs) due to a minor knee injury he suffered during Senior Bowl week in January. He also suffered a torn ACL in 2022, but the tight end hasn't just been available in OTAs; he has been a standout in practice.
Arroyo has shown the ability that caused the Seahawks to draft him so high. He might have the size of a tight end at 6'5" and 245 pounds, but he has the quickness and speed of a wide receiver. He might still be a bit raw in terms of blocking, but he should be a fantastic weapon in offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak's offense.
Not in 2026, but this coming season. If OTAs are any indication, Arroyo is going to have high value right away.
He is also very likely the long-term replacement for veteran Noah Fant. Fant is a relatively expensive player (his cap hit in 2025 is $13,410,000) for the amount of production he has. In the last two seasons, Fant has just one touchdown catch, and that came in the last game of last season.
Fant is not an issue in the locker room, and has good hands, but he doesn't put up the kind of numbers that his size and speed imply he should. Arroyo might put up the same kind of numbers (around 35-50 catches and up to 500 receiving yards) as Fant in the rookie's first season, but by 2026, he should easily eclipse what Fant has done with Seattle.
Fant's final year of his current deal with the Seahawks is this coming season. As Seattle also has second-year tight end AJ Barner, there seems little reason to keep Fant beyond 2025, especially as Arroyo has the same skill set and is a less expensive player.
Elijah Arroyo might turn out to be one of the Seahawks' best moves of the 2025 offseason, and he might prove that in his rookie season.