An offensive line selection in the first round of the draft typically doesn’t generate that much buzz, but that wasn’t the case when the Seattle Seahawks picked guard Grey Zabel this year.
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After years of struggles on the offensive line, particularly on the interior, fans rejoiced when Seattle took Zabel with the No. 18 overall pick in April. The expectation was he would slot in as an immediate starter for the Seahawks, which is exactly what he’s done.
The North Dakota State product has played all 428 of the team’s offensive snaps while starting the first seven games at left guard this season. According to Pro Football Focus, he’s allowed zero sacks on 225 pass-blocking snaps, and his 10 pressures allowed are the second least of Seattle’s starting offensive linemen.
On Thursday, Seahawks Radio Network analyst and former NFL O-lineman Ray Roberts shared his assessment of Zabel’s first seven games with Seattle Sports’ Wyman and Bob.
“He looks like a rookie who deserved to be the 18th pick in the draft,” Roberts said. “… This dude can play football and he’s athletic. And he’s had his moments where he’s struggled, but that’s to be expected. It’s a lot to learn in the trenches like that.
“But he’s also had these moments where he’s played some really good football and you can see just the his willpower (and) his talent. You see him always down the field trying to finish blocks. He’s just naturally a tough dude.”
Roberts’ analysis of Zabel falls pretty closely in line with the rookie’s PFF grading. Despite not allowing a sack, he ranked 51st out of 78 guards through the first seven weeks, indicating there has been some ups and downs.
When Zabel does make mistakes, how he responds stands out to Roberts.
“I haven’t seen one game where he’s had a mistake and he’s gotten down on himself,” Roberts said. “He has always just come right back with the same poise, with the same approach to it, and he’s been able to play some really good football.”
Ultimately, Roberts believes Zabel’s play has helped those around him on the offensive line.
“I do think that because he’s playing better football, it’s allowing Charles Cross to be a better tackle and it’s also allowing (Jalen) Sundell to be effective (at center),” Roberts said.
Hear the full conversation at this link or in the audio player in this story. Listen to Wyman and Bob weekdays from 2-7 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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