Why The Grey Zabel Rookie Film Should Get You Excited About His 2026 Season

The Seattle Seahawks’ first-round history under John Schneider has never been boring. Over the years, the Seahawks have used premium draft capital on prospects who divided evaluators, while other first-round picks have been moved in aggressive trades for established veterans. That willingness to trust the organization’s board over public consensus has produced both memorable successes and frustrating misses.

One year into Grey Zabel’s NFL career, however, it’s becoming increasingly difficult not to view him as one of the best first-round values of Schneider’s tenure.

Background

Coming out of North Dakota State, Zabel entered the draft process with two primary concerns attached to his scouting report. The first was his arm length. For teams projecting him as an NFL tackle, his measurements created understandable questions. Seattle, however, drafted him with the expectation that his future would likely come inside at guard, where his technical ability, leverage and movement skills matter far more than a few inches of reach.

The second concern was the level of competition. Dominating FCS opponents doesn’t always translate to Sundays, making the transition from North Dakota State to the NFL one of the biggest unknowns surrounding his projection.

Ironically, Zabel began answering those questions long before he ever played an NFL snap.

A quick side note: I’ve become a huge believer in the value of the Senior Bowl. Maybe that’s because Seattle consistently finds contributors through the event, but I also appreciate prospects who embrace the entire process instead of leaving after one or two impressive practice sessions.

Zabel embodied exactly what the Senior Bowl is supposed to showcase.

Throughout the week he accepted every challenge presented to him, taking reps at multiple interior positions while competing against some of the best defensive linemen in the country. He didn’t manage his workload, didn’t leave early and finished the week by playing in the game itself. Combined with his decision to stay at North Dakota State for his final collegiate season instead of transferring to a larger program, it reinforced the type of competitor Seattle was drafting.

That mentality quickly carried over into his rookie season.

Despite suffering an injury against the Los Angeles Rams that initially looked serious enough to cost him time, Zabel returned remarkably quickly. He clearly wasn’t operating at full strength against the Titans the following week, but simply getting back onto the field that soon spoke volumes about both his toughness and determination.

Like every rookie offensive lineman, his season wasn’t flawless. Seattle’s offensive line experienced its share of growing pains throughout the year, and Zabel had his own moments of inconsistency. Even so, his overall body of work consistently pointed toward a player whose strengths translated immediately to the NFL.

What stood out on tape

Elite footwork/Athletic Ability

If there is one trait that consistently jumps off the tape, it’s Zabel’s footwork.

One of the biggest differences between him and many rookie offensive linemen is how quickly he gets himself into position. While some blockers are still working through their initial kick step, Zabel is often already on his third step, allowing him to stay square, recover against counters and reach landmarks before defenders can exploit leverage.

Excellent footwork and nimble feet are traits that consistently show up on Grey Zabel’s tape. On this rep, he immediately climbs to the linebacker, reaches him without hesitation, and—unlike the previous snap—takes a much cleaner angle to completely erase any chance of the defender getting involved in the play.

Outstanding mobility paired with the vision to locate and engage targets at the second and even third level. It’s rare to see an offensive lineman sustain blocks with this kind of control 30 yards downfield, but Zabel finishes the rep as if the play had just begun.

Another example of the athleticism that makes Zabel such a unique prospect. Many offensive linemen can eventually reach the second level, but it often looks labored. Zabel gets there effortlessly, wasting virtually no movement as he flows through traffic. This was one of the most impressive blocking reps of his entire season.

Promising technique

Beyond his movement skills, Zabel consistently plays with refined technique.

His hand usage, balance and ability to stay under control rarely resemble those of a first-year player. More importantly, the tape suggests he became increasingly comfortable as the season progressed rather than maintaining the same level of play. Obviously, inconsistency will appear, like in this game where he allowed two sacks to Kobie Turner and in the same game had good snaps against him.

Outstanding rep against the 49ers. The defensive tackle attacks with power immediately off the snap, but Zabel absorbs the initial surge and anchors well. Despite giving up arm length, his hand placement and technical refinement allow him to maintain leverage and keep the pocket clean. After his initial rush stalls, the defender strings together multiple counters, but Zabel’s balance, hand usage, and recovery ability neutralize every one of them.

Areas for improvement

Most of Zabel’s negative plays weren’t the result of losing individual matchups.

Instead, many of them reflected communication issues that affected Seattle’s offensive line throughout the season.

Several missed assignments involved double teams failing to climb properly to the second level, delayed handoffs between blockers or protection adjustments that never fully developed against stunts. The left side of the offensive line is clearly working to protect the outside gap, as shown by the center’s and left tackle’s initial movement. Zabel, however, loses his assignment and fails to stay connected to the protection scheme, allowing No. 10 to shoot through the crease untouched and disrupt the play.

Those weren’t problems unique to Zabel—they appeared across the entire unit.

As mentioned earlier, Zabel’s lack of ideal arm length was never a defining issue throughout the season. However, it does leave him with a smaller margin for error and demands consistent technique. On this rep, his hands land outside the defender’s frame instead of inside the chest, exposing his own chest plate. Once he loses inside leverage, the defender quickly wins the rep and collapses the pocket.

This rep features two clear technical breakdowns. First, Zabel’s left hand slips off the defensive tackle—likely an attempted punch to disrupt the rusher’s momentum—but it fails to land cleanly. More importantly, his inside hand never establishes leverage underneath the defender’s pads, allowing the defensive tackle to gain control of the rep, penetrate the pocket, and finish with the sack.

2026 Outlook

Few rookie offensive linemen enter the league as finished products, and Zabel is no exception.

The encouraging part is that many of his remaining weaknesses appear coachable rather than physical limitations. His footwork, movement skills and technical foundation already give him an excellent baseline to build upon. He needs to clean up some bad angles and hand placement.

With another offseason in Seattle’s system and increased continuity along the offensive line, Year 2 should provide a much clearer picture of just how high his ceiling can be.

Final Thoughts

The questions surrounding Grey Zabel entering the draft were legitimate.

Would his arm length limit his projection? Could an FCS standout make a seamless transition to NFL competition?

One season later, those concerns carry far less weight than they once did.

Fortunately for Seattle, continuity should help.

Charles Cross and Grey Zabel appear locked into their respective roles moving forward, giving the Seahawks a young foundation that should become more cohesive with additional reps together. Experience alone should eliminate many of the communication errors that occasionally appeared during Zabel’s rookie campaign.

The tape shows a technically advanced offensive lineman whose footwork consistently separates him from most young interior blockers. There is still room for growth—particularly within Seattle’s overall communication up front—but the foundation is already in place.

If his rookie season proves to be the beginning rather than the peak, the Seahawks may ultimately look back at Grey Zabel as one of the best first-round values of the John Schneider era.