5 additional things to know about Seahawks’ top pick Grey Zabel

Seattle Seahawks fans across the Pacific Northwest have been clamoring for moves to address their team’s longstanding issues along the offensive line.

Their wishes were answered in a big way Thursday night.

Seahawks draft North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel at No. 18

With the No. 18 overall pick in the NFL Draft, the Seahawks selected North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel, who was widely considered the No. 1 or No. 2 interior offensive lineman in this year’s class.

Throughout the pre-draft process, we at Seattle Sports have written extensively about Zabel’s unique athleticism, five-position flexibility and potential home-run fit for new Seahawks offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s wide-zone blocking scheme.

But now that Zabel is officially a Seahawk, here are five additional things to know about the 6-foot-6, 312-pound offensive lineman.

A passion for farming

Growing up in small-town Pierre, South Dakota, Zabel spent a lot of time on his family’s farm. And as ESPN reported, he achieved a lifelong dream in 2024 by leasing 245 acres of land and starting a farm of his own. Zabel said he grows corn, soy beans and other crops.

“Farming and football have a lot in common,” Zabel said. “You plant a seed in the dirt in the spring and tend to it and try to get it as much as you can to grow a great crop in the fall, and football is the same exact way. You work all offseason to get your body strong, healthy, and then you go reap the benefits in the fall.”

From farm fields to football fields, Grey Zabel’s journey is just getting started 💪 pic.twitter.com/FUyA3KjCmi

— College GameDay (@CollegeGameDay) April 24, 2025

Bringing the heat

Zabel has elite athleticism for his size, which he showcased earlier this year by posting the third-best vertical jump by an offensive lineman in NFL combine history.

That athleticism goes back to his high school days when he was a three-sport athlete at Pierre High School in football, basketball and baseball.

On the pitcher’s mound, Zabel brought the heat. According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Zabel threw in the low-90s as a left-handed pitcher. During his a junior year in 2019, he posted a 0.68 ERA while racking up 51 strikeouts in 31 innings.

NDSU’s Grey Zabel isn’t just the NFL Draft’s top-rated center… he’s also got an arm that once delivered low-90s fastballs. On The Insiders, we got the footage. pic.twitter.com/96KiPEuIxC

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 12, 2025

Staying loyal

After his 2023 season at FCS-level North Dakota State, Zabel said he received six-figure NIL offers to play at the Power Four conference level of the FBS. But Zabel chose to stay at NDSU, in part to play with his younger brother, Jett, who was a redshirt freshman tight end for the Bison in 2024.

Related: Seahawks Draft Reaction: Brock and Bump on Grey Zabel

Zabel closed his decorated college career in style, helping NDSU capture the FCS national championship with an unblemished 16-0 campaign.

“I’m a firm believer that North Dakota State can take you anywhere you want to go,” Zabel said. “I’m true to that word. I think it’s really powerful. In this day and age, with guys kind of transferring out or getting bought by NIL, it shows something that if you stay true to who you are and who believes in you and who poured into you, you’re going to reap the benefits.

“My head coach always calls me stupid for not taking the money,” he added. “But at the end of the day, I think it paid off pretty well.”

Grey all day. pic.twitter.com/k7bEtBy1iq

— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) April 25, 2025

The Steve Hutchinson connection

Zabel is the highest-drafted guard the Seahawks have taken since 2001, when they drafted Steve Hutchinson at No. 17 overall. Hutchinson went on to have a Hall of Fame career and was an integral part of the 2005 Seahawks team that reached the Super Bowl.

And coincidentally, Hutchinson played a role in bringing Zabel to Seattle. According to Seahawks.com senior reporter John Boyle, Hutchinson works in a consultant role for the Seahawks and interviewed Zabel at the Senior Bowl.

“Steve was just an unbelievable football player,” Zabel said. “The mentality that he played with was off the charts. He’s an unbelievable person. … Being able to connect with him was a surreal experience.

“I remember after my interview with him down at the Senior Bowl, I immediately called my dad to tell him that. Super excited, and hopefully I’ll have more conversations with him.”

Familiar faces

Continuity is a vital part of offensive line play. And Zabel already has ties to two current Seahawks offensive linemen.

Zabel spent four seasons at North Dakota State with Jalen Sundell, a 2024 undrafted free agent who played 57 offensive snaps for Seattle last season. Sundell is currently listed as the backup center on the team’s depth chart.

Seattle Storm draft Serena Sundell, sister of Seahawks center

“He mentored me at North Dakota State,” Zabel said. “He’s an unbelievable football player. To have a familiar face in the locker room and in the city, it’s going to be awesome. I’m going to lean on him heavily. He’s an unbelievable person, an unbelievable player. I’m super excited to be reunited with him.”

Zabel also has trained with Seahawks right tackle Abraham Lucas at Excel Sports Management in Irvine, California.

“I’m super excited to get out to Seattle, Washington, and start getting to work with those guys,” Zabel said.

Seattle Seahawks and the NFL Draft

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• NFL Draft: Former WSU QB Cam Ward is the No. 1 pick
• A look at the local prospects in the 2025 NFL Draft
• Three big picture questions as Seahawks embark on pivotal draft

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