With their third pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, the Seattle Seahawks added to a position group that’s been a highlighted as a key to new offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak’s system.
2025 Seattle Seahawks Draft Breakdown: A look at all 11 picks
The Seahawks selected University of Miami (Florida) tight end Elijah Arroyo with the 50th overall pick on Friday. Arroyo joins a Seahawks draft class that includes North Dakota State guard Grey Zabel (No. 18 overall) and South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori (No. 35).
The 6-foot-5, 250-pound Arroyo is touted for his abilities as an athletic receiving threat at tight end. He hauled in 35 receptions for 590 yards and seven TDs in 13 games while catching passes from No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward for the Hurricanes in 2024. His 16.9 yard per reception led all FBS tight ends with at least 20 catches, and he earned second-team All-ACC honors.
But scouts say Arroyo needs work developing as a blocker, and there are some injury concerns. Arroyo missed parts of the 2022 and 2023 seasons with a torn ACL, and the only workout he did at the scouting combine was the bench press due to a bone bruise on his knee suffered at the Senior Bowl. Arroyo also didn’t run a 40-yard dash at Miami’s pro day due to the injury.
Still, Arroyo appears to the have the potential to be a game-changing receiving threat for the Seahawks. The pro comp from ESPN’s Matt Miller for the Miami product is Arizona’s Trey McBride, who recently signed a contract extension to become the highest-paid tight end in the league after posting 1,146 receiving yards in 2024.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler shared this on social media about Arroyo:
Multiple teams had Elijah Arroyo as a top 20-25 overall talent in the draft save durability concerns. Seattle gets him at No. 50 overall.
Arroyo, who is the fourth-highest-drafted tight end in Seahawks history, also comes from a university with a rich history of producing NFL standouts at the position. The list includes former Seahawks Jimmy Graham and Greg Olsen, David Njoku, Jeremy Shockey and Kellen Winslow Jr.
Pro Football Focus ranked Arroyo as its No. 59 overall prospect and No. 3 tight end in the 2025 class.
Arroyo was a four-star prospect coming out of Independence High School in Frisco, Texas. But much of his early experience playing football came in Mexico after his family moved there from Miami when he was 6 years old. He moved to Texas at age 13.
Arroyo joins a Seahawks tight end room that includes veteran Noah Fant, 2024 draft pick AJ Barner and offseason signee Eric Saubert. Fant is in the final year of his contract.
Seattle Seahawks 2025 NFL Draft picks
•Seahawks draft North Dakota State OL Grey Zabel at No. 18
•Seahawks trade up to draft South Carolina safety Nick Emmanwori
•Seahawks draft Miami TE Elijah Arroyo at No. 50
•Seahawks draft Alabama QB Jalen Milroe at No. 92
•Seahawks draft Notre Dame DT Rylie Mills in fifth round
•Seahawks draft Colorado State WR Tory Horton in fifth round
•Seahawks draft Alabama tight end Robbie Ouzts, list him as fullback
•Seahawks draft Kansas OL Bryce Cabeldue in the sixth round
•Seattle Seahawks draft three in seveth round, including ex-Oregon State RB
