

The Seattle Seahawks used pick No. 50 in the 2025 NFL Draft on Miami tight end Elijah Arroyo on Friday evening.
He’s the third pick of the draft for Seattle, which selected guard Grey Zabel 18th on Thursday night and safety Nick Emmanwori 35th earlier Friday. Arroyo, listed 6-foot-5 and 254 pounds, caught 35 passes for 590 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
He’s the highest-drafted tight end of the John Schneider era; the previous high was Nick Vannett with the 94th pick in 2016.
‘The Beast’ breakdown
Arroyo ranked No. 41 in Dane Brugler’s top 300 big board. Here’s what Brugler had to say about him in his annual NFL Draft guide:
“A one-year starter at Miami (Fla.), Arroyo was an F tight end in offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson’s RPO-based version of the Air Raid, lining up mostly in the slot (51.6 percent of snaps) and occasionally inline (39.4 percent). He had just 16 combined targets over his first three seasons with the Hurricanes as he battled a knee injury, but then delivered a breakout 2024, leading the FBS in yards per catch among tight ends (16.9).
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“An awesome athlete at 250 pounds, Arroyo gets in and out of his breaks with efficiency and speed to consistently create separation, which makes him a threat to score any time he touches the ball (71.4 percent of his catches in 2024 resulted in a first down or touchdown). He will need to prove himself through contact in the passing game at the next level, where he won’t be given as much space to operate. Overall, Arroyo needs further development as a route runner and blocker to reach his ceiling, but he can bring an immediate vertical element to an offense with his speed, fluidity and focused ball skills. He is easy to project as an NFL starter and a weapon for which defenses must account.”
Nick Baumgardner grades the pick
An elite athlete with terrific size and a crazy catch radius, Arroyo is a 6-4, 254-pounder who runs, cuts and moves like a 200-pounder. A move tight end who should remind many in Seattle of Noah Fant, Arroyo is also a willing blocker who has enough speed to win over the top against safeties and linebackers. He also missed a ton of time in 2022 and 2023 due to an ACL injury. Grade: A-
Jake Ciely’s fantasy analysis
This is an interesting landing spot, as Fant hasn’t lived up to his pre-draft potential. The Seahawks have Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Cooper Kupp, but the No. 3 role is open to Marquez Valdes-Scantling, Fant and backup options. Arroyo has Jonnu Smith 2024-like potential. As with most tight ends, it usually takes a year, if not two, but Arroyo could surprise and should make noise for fantasy managers in 2026.
Come back for more analysis on Arroyo shortly.
(Photo: Carmen Mandato / Getty Images)
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