The Seattle Seahawks' rookie class has been solid this season. Left guard Grey Zabel started at a good level and has only improved. Safety Nick Emmanwori has become a vital part of the defense. Another second-round pick, as Emmanwori is, is beginning to tail off a bit, however.
Elijah Arroyo was supposed to be a big and fast target who played tight end but moved like a wide receiver. He has had moments of brilliance, but he has also had moments of poor route-running that have forced mistakes. One came on one of quarterback Sam Darnold's interceptions in Week 12 when Arroyo did not cut his route, and the pass was undercut by a Rams defender.
Arroyo clearly has raw physical skills, but he doesn't yet have a refined game. The rookie could be just on the verge of a breakout game, or seeing far fewer snaps and not making a huge impact until 2026.
Seattle Seahawks rookie tight end Elijah Arroyo could change his season in Week 12
After catching four passes on five targets against a good Houston Texans defense in Week 7, the right end has seen no more than two targets in any game since. Against LA, he was targeted twice, didn't have any catches, and created the opportunity for the one interception. Not only does he need to run routes that Darnold trusts, he needs to prove he can to Klint Kubiak, too.
An easy way for Elijah Arroyo to show he can be a valuable weapon now and moving forward the rest of the season is to have an explosive game against the Tennessee Titans. While Tennessee isn't very good overall and is trending toward getting worse this year, they do a pretty good job of limiting what opposing tight ends do.
The Titans have only allowed three touchdown passes to TEs in 2025, sixth-best in the NFL. The 478 receiving yards allowed are the 10th-best. As strange as it might sound, since Tennessee is so bad, if Arroyo can be great in Nashville, he should be able to be great against nearly anyone.
In fact, Elijah Arroyo could be one of the heroes of Week 12. The Seattle Seahawks are obviously the better team, but this could also be a trap game. The Titans are bad and could be overlooked. Rookie tight end Arroyo can make sure that doesn't happen while also earning more reps the rest of the season.