Breakdown: Ranking 2nd-year Seahawks by potential ’26 impact

We can all become distracted by new faces on a team, especially following April’s NFL Draft. But last year’s Seattle Seahawks draft class is also entering the season with plenty of intrigue of its own.

Analysts raving about Seattle Seahawks rookie safety Bud Clark

It’s a group that includes players who were central to Seattle’s Super Bowl run, as well as a few who lost time and left fans with lingering questions.

Which of them could have the greatest impact in 2026?

The players we’re ranking today: guard Grey Zabel, tight end Elijah Arroyo, wide receiver Tory Horton, defensive back Nick Emmanwori, defensive lineman Riley Mills and fullback Robbie Ouzts. There were additional players in this class, of course, but we tried to narrow it down to a more manageable six.

How much impact will each player have? At first glance, I drew it up as:

• Grey Zabel
• Nick Emmanwori
• Elijah Arroyo
• Tory Horton
• Robbie Ouzts
• Riley Mills

My initial ranking looked at the level of concern I’d have losing that player for an extended period of time. Grey Zabel was No. 1 simply because I felt his absence would have an outsized impact on the offensive line compared to Nick Emmanwori, despite Emmanwori’s versatility being essential to the defense.

Then, there was an added factor of “potential.” Former second-round pick Elijah Arroyo, for instance, was third on the list after being a favorite sleeper pick for draft experts last May. We got a ton of listener questions about fullback Robbie Ouzts, who missed quite a bit of time last season with injury, but because I’ve been cautioned against comparing him to a player like 49ers star Kyle Juszczyk, I’ve stopped short of thinking he can be an impactful starter and instead went with wide receiver Tory Horton, who only slipped in last year’s draft because of injury.

But after a lengthy debate with my co-host Michael Bumpus, I’ll admit this: my initial ranking was wrong.

Obviously you can’t be objectively wrong here — we don’t know how this season is going to turn out for these players — but that debate became a great exercise in how we’re going to measure success for the Seahawks’ 2025 draft class as they enter into Year 2, and I think you’re going to like hearing what Bump had to say. He ranked his second-year players not by how worrisome an absence would be, but instead by how they could open up the playbook.

1. Nick Emmanwori

Reason: He allows the defense to stay in nickel formation.

Bump’s take: “He can play the linebacker spot, blitz the quarterback, cover safeties, drop into the zones, he can play man. He’s the Swiss Army knife that makes this defense go. It all starts with that defensive line, but when it comes to being creative, Nick Emmanwori is No. 1.”

2. Grey Zabel

Reason: Great guard play is essential to Seattle’s wide zone offensive system.

Bump’s take: “He played in every single game last year. He allows you to run the zone. When you’re running that zone offense, your guards and center are essential. Yes, your tackles are as well, especially if you’re in the backend, but your guards and center are the ones who create that double team. You block down on the 1 (tech) or the 3 (tech), you climb to the linebackers, and that allows your running back to find his lanes.”

3. Robbie Ouzts

Reason: A secret weapon for an OC from the Shanahan tree.

This one surprised me, not because fullback play isn’t essential to 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan’s offense, but because Ouzts in particular had a minimal role in 2025 and doesn’t necessarily profile as a Juszczyk-esque option (don’t yell at me, yell at draft analysts).

Bump’s take: “I was just looking at the 46 or so pass plays the 49ers had with 20-plus air yards, and there are a lot of times they’re playing two backs to condense that formation. They’ll fake the handoff to one and release the other like a lead block and now he’s leaking out. He might not even get the ball, but that fullback is pulling linebackers, he’s getting eyes on flat defenders and opening up passing lanes for these guys. He’s a guy who might not even be touching the football that much, but he can influence what a defense is doing and how they react to things.”

4. Tory Horton

Reason: Surprisingly polished route running.

I assumed Horton could see a diminished role on special teams because of Rashid Shaheed, and that’ll be a balancing act. But Bump prefers Horton as a route runner.

Bump’s take: “How do you get Horton touches? Shaheed has one of the biggest returns in franchise history last year against the Rams on Thursday night. We know how potent he is, and that’s where guys like Tory Horton shine first. But what I will give Horton over Shaheed is that he’s a better receiver right now when it comes to route running. Shaheed’s a track guy — he doesn’t run bad routes, but there are things he does at times where I feel like OK, he doesn’t feel the zone there, he doesn’t have a plan at the top of his route. No knock on track guys, those guys are special. But those guys typically aren’t the sharpest route runners because they’re used to running straight and turning left, that’s just what they do. Now, that’s something a lot of people can’t do, and that’s get behind defenders. But when you’re not a track guy, you become more locked in on the technical side. Overall (in terms of wide receiver depth and impact) I’ll go Shaheed over Horton because of his big play ability. But if I’m talking about tight spaces and having to move guys, Horton’s just better at that.”

5. Elijah Arroyo

Reason: Matchup opportunities.

AJ Barner is the clear star of the tight end room, but Arroyo is a second-round pick and the Seahawks certainly want more in return.

Bump’s take: “If you can get two tight ends to be threats in the pass and the run game, it opens up this offense.”

More on the Seattle Seahawks

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• Seven things that stand out about Seattle Seahawks schedule

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