Built Farm Tough: Grey Zabel Plants Seed, Eager to Blossom as Seahawks’ First-Round Pick
RENTON, Wash. - Taking a unique path from a zero-star high school recruit to All-American at North Dakota State, Grey Zabel doesn’t need much to keep happy.
Growing up on the outskirts of Pierre, Zabel’s journey to being selected in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft was built around the unwavering support of his family, the tireless work ethic he learned by example down on the farm, albeit with him still having nightmares about having to pick up rocks in the fields as a means of “toughening him up” during his youth, and his passion for the sport of football, seeing all three as foundational cornerstones that have come together through both triumph and adversity to pave the road for his success.
As long as Zabel has that trifecta, consider him fulfilled.
Thankfully, with his family backing him every step of the way and the farm still very much a major part of his DNA to this day, Zabel will get to continue his other personal pinnacle as a member of the Seattle Seahawks after being selected with the 18th overall selection, excited for the chance to get back to work in coming weeks with eyes on making an immediate impact for his new team in the trenches this fall.
“My family's my rock,” Zabel told reporters via conference call moments after learning he had been selected by Seattle. “They've been in my corner since day one. Football is just a passion I've had since I've grown up… I loved every single second of it. And then farming, it's just one of those deals where I just growing up working at the farm and kind of understanding that farming and football have a lot in common. You plant a seed in the dirt in the spring and tend to it and try and give it as much as you can to grow a great crop in the fall. And football is the same exact way. You work all to get your body strong, healthy, and then you go reap the benefits in the fall.
“So those three things are kind of what describes me, and I hold them pretty close to my heart.”
With the interior offensive line viewed by most draft pundits as the team’s biggest area of need, the Seahawks bucked several previous trends by tabbing Zabel as the 18th overall selection on Thursday night, making him the first guard to be selected on opening night by general manager John Schneider in 16 drafts at the helm and the highest since Hall of Famer Steve Hutchinson in 2001. His selection also marked the highest pick on an FCS player by Schneider, who had never used a top 100 pick on a player from a lower level than the FBS division.
But while some may view his selection as a surprise, after emerging as a consensus All-American in Fargo and starting games at all five offensive line positions over the course of his college career, Zabel aced every step of the way in the pre-draft process, vaulting himself from a Day 2 curiosity into a round one lock. Silencing doubters who questioned if he could step up against NFL talent, he proved himself more than worthy of consideration for a first round pick with the competitive spirit Schneider and Seattle’s scouting department crave regardless of position.
First, Zabel flew down to Mobile in late January and dominated opponents throughout the week at the Senior Bowl with Schneider, Macdonald, and Hutchinson, holding his own against elite Power 4 competition from the ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, and SEC. Winning rep after rep in one-on-one drills, defenders kept requesting a shot to go against him and he happily obliged, capitalizing on every opportunity while bolstering his draft stock with victory after victory against players with a variety of different skill sets and strengths.
“He was stealing reps. It was pretty cool. He stood out,” Schneider said of Zabel’s Senior Bowl dominance at the conclusion of the first round. “He could have left. He was voted practice player of the week. A lot of those guys leave. They don't stay for the game, improve their draft value or whatever. He stayed, competed, played guard and center in the game. He stood out down there, for sure.”
At the NFL combine one month later, Zabel only participated in the vertical jump, but posted a ridiculous 36 1/2-inch vertical at 6-6, 316 pounds. He continued to showcase his top-tier athletic traits at his pro day workout a few weeks later, particularly excelling in agility drills, as he ran the short shuttle in a blazing 4.60 seconds, further solidifying his standing as one of the top guard prospects in a deep draft class at the position.
Impressed by his film coupled with a standout performance in Mobile and at his pro day, the Seahawks saw more than enough from Zabel to be sold on him despite coming from a smaller program. As Schneider pointed out, North Dakota State’s fantastic track record of developing pro-level talent along the offensive line under the tutelage of coach Dan Larson only amplified the organization’s confidence in him, as all five starting linemen from their 2022 national championship squad now find themselves in the NFL.
Among those five players, Zabel can’t wait to team up again with center Jalen Sundell, who signed with Seattle as an undrafted free agent last July and earned a roster spot out of training camp. Both players will have an opportunity to compete for starting jobs this summer, opening the door for the two ex-Bison standouts to play alongside one another in the interior of a revamped offensive line that should be far more athletic than last year’s unit to cater to new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s zone-heavy scheme.
“So cool. He mentored me at North Dakota State,” Zabel said. “He's an unbelievable football player, and to have a familiar face in the locker room in the city, it's going to be awesome. I'm going to lean on him heavily. He's an unbelievable person. Unbelievable player. I'm super excited to be reunited with him.”
From a fit standpoint, Zabel played the majority of his snaps at North Dakota State at tackle, starting most of his games at right tackle in 2023 before sliding to the left side in his senior season. But he played 185 snaps at right guard as a true freshman in the 2021 spring season, quickly earning the trust of Larson to throw him into the lineup, and he logged almost 500 snaps at left guard in 2022 and 2023 along with a handful of snaps as a center on an emergency basis.
Zabel believes those valuable reps at every position across the line will benefit him immensely as he transitions to the NFL, and while Macdonald didn’t indicate which side he would play on after the conclusion of the first round, the Seahawks intend to start him at guard with hopes of him finding a long-term home there. With short 32-inch arms, sliding inside should help mitigate any length/reach concerns and his quickness/lateral movement should only be greater assets for his new team on wide zone runs, though his new coach made sure to emphasize his physicality and closer mentality as well.
“I wouldn't put too much into, ‘Well, he has to be the wide zone guy,’” Macdonald remarked. “This guy is a great pass protector, can hit his targets on the move. Very athletic, tough. Finishes blocks, which is one of my favorite things about him. In that way, he's going to fit in great.”
Like any incoming NFL prospect, regardless of whether they came from an FBS program, an FCS program, or a smaller division program, Zabel will have his work cut out for him acclimating to the rigors of playing in the league. There’s an adjustment period for every draft pick, even those who hear their names called in the first 32 selections on opening night.
But thanks to his versatility and upbringing coming from a hard working farming family, Seattle shouldn’t have any reservations about Zabel, who will be eager to show Schneider, Macdonald, Hutchinson, and others that they made the right decision investing a top-20 selection in him. Telling reporters he has a 12-hour rule for celebrating, he’s going to quickly turn the page after enjoying Busch Lights with his parents and siblings before fly out to the Virginia Mason Athletic Center on Friday excited to put on his hard hat and get to work.
Just as long as the Seahawks don’t ask him to pick up rocks from the practice field.
