The Seattle Seahawks rookies combined for 181 snaps in Week 14 against the Atlanta Falcons. Elijah Arroyo exited early with fewer than 10 offensive snaps, while the undrafted Nick Kallerup logged his second-highest workload of the season. Grey Zabel played every offensive snap, and Nick Emmanwori finished second on the team in defensive snaps.
Let’s dive into some of the most important rookie moments from Sunday.
Grey Zabel — Offensive Guard (61 snaps)
I haven’t agreed much with PFF’s grading this year — including their grades on Zabel — but
this was the rookie’s best pass-blocking grade (82.5) and his second-best run-blocking mark (66.5). With this performance, he now has five games without allowing a single pressure.
The start of the rep isn’t ideal. Zabel gets driven back early, but he shows strong technique to absorb the power move. He resets with short, controlled hops to re-establish his base.
Even from a poor angle view, you can see his hand placement anchoring the rep and keeping the pocket clean.
His stunt recognition is textbook. Great lateral mobility, smooth pass-off to the tackle, and immediate pickup of the looper — no wasted steps, no wasted movement.
Nick Emmanwori — Defensive Back (58 snaps)
A monster outing: 6 tackles, 3 run stops, 1 sack, and a blocked field goal. In coverage, he allowed 2 catches on 3 targets for 51 yards and grabbed his first career interception.
Alignment breakdown:
- 10 snaps on the DL;
- 19 in the box;
- 29 in the slot;
This was essentially his only bad rep of the day. He’s still adjusting to situations where he can’t get hands on the receiver at the line, making his transition slightly slower. Even then, he stays tight, but loses some contact when looking back for the ball. Credit to the TE and QB for a well-executed throw.
Emmanwori came close to blocking a kick earlier this year — this time he got it. The timing was massive: it happened in the drive immediately after Sam Darnold’s interception, essentially erasing the turnover’s impact.
His first interception comes from keeping his eyes locked on the quarterback. He processes the route passing into the safety’s zone and is ready when Devon Witherspoon tips the ball — a fantastic play by the corner.
The sack highlights his burst. With fewer false steps now showing up in his game, he’s exploding into the pocket faster. Tyrice Knight deserves an unofficial “assist” here, forcing the guard inside and occupying the RB to free Emmanwori’s lane.
Another snap showcases his feel and processing growth. He recognizes the block on the NT (#95) and adjusts his path to make the tackle.
On the motion play, his alignment shifts and the Falcons’ offensive line fails to adjust — allowing his athleticism to take over again.
Elijah Arroyo — Tight End (7 snaps)
Arroyo ran six routes, saw one target, and it resulted in an interception. His production is far below what you’d expect from a second-round pick. To make matters worse, he was injured on the play and didn’t return.
The team indicated a knee injury. As of this writing, there’s no further update — but it’s worth remembering Arroyo had knee issues during the pre-draft process.
He tries to sell a vertical route for separation, but AJ Terrell mirrors him perfectly and breaks up the pass — a ball that shouldn’t have been thrown — leading to the interception. It’s the fourth recent target to Arroyo that has ended in a turnover.
Jalen Milroe — Quarterback (0 snaps)
Inactive.
Rylie Mills — Defensive Lineman (0 snaps)
NFI list.
Tory Horton — Wide Receiver (0 snaps)
IR.
Robbie Ouzts — Fullback (18 snaps)
Limited impact in the run game and committed a holding penalty that wiped out a strong Ken Walker run — another rookie mistake.
Bryce Cabeldue — Offensive Lineman (8 snaps)
Minimal action.
Mason Richman — Offensive Lineman (0 snaps)
Inactive.
Nick Kallerup — Tight End (29 snaps)
Physical and aggressive as a blocker. His snap count rose after Arroyo’s injury. The big question remains whether he’ll offer anything as a receiver or profile strictly as a blocking tight end.
Final Thoughts
Nick Emmanwori likely delivered the best rookie performance by a Seahawk this season, and he’s now firmly in the race for Defensive Rookie of the Year. Sportsbook (including FanDuel) currently have him second behind Carson Schwesinger.
Arroyo’s injury is something to monitor. His offensive impact hasn’t been positive, and this setback could make things even more complicated moving forward.
