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The Seattle Seahawks bolstered their offensive line Thursday by selecting Grey Zabel in the first round of the draft.
The former North Dakota State standout will soon be tasked with protecting first-year Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.
But as attention shifts to Zabel’s future, his past interaction with President Donald Trump is also coming back into focus.
Zabel and his North Dakota teammates visited Washington, D.C., April 9 in celebration of the football team’s latest NCAA Division I FCS national championship.
Before making their way to the White House, a few delegates and a special guest, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., delivered some remarks. Some Bison football players then reflected on their run to the title.
Once they made it to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave., President Trump eventually met the football team in the East Room. Trump addressed the North Dakota State players and posed for photos. At one point during the interaction, Zabel’s teammates pointed him out.
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“Who is the best player? Let’s see, who are they pointing at?” Trump asked. “Biggest guy? Come here.”
Zabel then approached the president and shook his hand.
“Is he that good?” Trump asked. “Wow. Boy, he’s a big sucker huh?”
Trump then asked what position Zabel played, and the 305-pound lineman replied, “Offensive line.”
North Dakota State’s football team also visited the White House during Trump’s first term.
Zabel started 41 games in five seasons at every position on the offensive line except center. He was an FCS All-American at left tackle as a senior last season.
The 23-year-old started the final 36 games of his collegiate career and figures to slot in on the interior of the Seahawks’ line, which is in need of help. Zabel could quickly replace Seattle’s starting left guard from last season, Laken Tomlinson, who is now a member of the Houston Texans.
The Seahawks are optimistic Zabel can be part of the solution for an offensive line that struggled mightily in 2024. Last season, the Seahawks surrendered 54 sacks, tied for third most in the NFL. The Seahawks, who went 10-7 last season and won the NFC West, ran the vast majority of their plays out of the shotgun formation.
The versatile Zabel could slot in at any of the five starting offensive line positions, but coach Mike Macdonald said he would start out at guard.
“Hopefully, we find a home for him at one position, and he lives there for a really long time for us,” Macdonald said. “But I think it just speaks to his savvy. It’s not easy to find those guys that can play interior and at tackle. So, he’s one of them, and he’s ours now.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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