Grey Zabel
Seattle SeahawksUNDERPAIDModel Score
How good he is at what he is supposed to be doing, out of 100. Not a projection of what he will do next, and not a read on his contract. Median is about 70, and a 95 is rare. How it is built →
Season Stats · 17 games
Draft & College
He went earlier than consensus.
Comps
STM Take
Rookie tier 7 (#54) at left guard for an 18th overall pick is below the year-one median for top-20 IOL prospects on Pro Bowl trajectories. The North Dakota State back-to-back FCS national championships plus the 2024 Senior Bowl OL MVP gives him competitive pedigree that the rookie finish doesn't yet reflect. The 2026 question is whether Zabel crosses into tier 4 or better in year two or whether Seattle's broader offensive line rebuild keeps suppressing the ceiling.
Zabel came out of North Dakota State as the Seattle Seahawks' 1st-round pick (18th overall) in 2025 after winning back-to-back FCS national championships with the Bison (2021, 2023) and earning the 2024 Senior Bowl OL MVP. The Seahawks picked him at #18 to anchor the interior of their offensive line rebuild around Sam Darnold. His rookie 2025 finish at tier 7 (#54) is below the expected curve for a top-20 IOL pick but on the band given the rookie position-switch context.
Strengths
- 18th overall pick with North Dakota State back-to-back FCS national championships plus the 2024 Senior Bowl OL MVP gives him the highest pedigree among recent first-round IOL prospects.
- Rookie tier 7 (#54) at left guard for an FCS prospect transitioning to the NFL is on the developmental curve given the level-jump context.
Concerns
- Rookie tier 7 (#54) is below the year-one median for top-20 IOL picks on Pro Bowl trajectories.
- Seattle's broader offensive line transition (multi-year rebuild) compresses the structural support around Zabel's development environment.
What to watch: Whether Zabel crosses into tier 4 (top 30) in 2026, the standard year-two threshold for top-20 IOL picks on Pro Bowl trajectories.