The Seahawks went into the 2025 draft with 10 picks to their name. By the end of it, they acquired 11 players, starting with Grey Zebel in round 1. And yesterday, with Elijah Arroyo’s signature, they signed all their new draft picks under contract. 11 new players. 11 new signings. It shows the level of trust in the talent the Seahawks acquired this season. And some hope Elijah can be extra special. Mike Macdonald is one of them. He believes Elijah is not just a talent who can play one position. But two.

Mike has a special plan for Arroyo. It involves him rotating between the tight end position and the wide receiver position. During the Day 2 press conference at the draft, Macdonald said.  “This guy can run an extensive route tree. To have to account for a tight end body on the field and him also to be able to split out wide, do X receiver type of things, bigger body that we probably have right now on our roster, just provides a ton of value. Then he’s going to throw it in there as the actual tight end in-line and be able to create some of those bigger personnel formations is the vision that we have for him. Really exciting.” Arroyo will be a serious threat in the passing game.

With Elijah Arroyo possibly playing as TE and WR in the coming season, Mike is giving more options for Sam Darnold. The flexibility that Arroyo has can be a huge game-changer in Darnold’s short passes. Something Darnold is known to be efficient in. With the versatility that Arroyo can offer in an offense, a contract signature was the least of the Seahawks’ worries. After all, a holdout is one thing they didn’t want… and didn’t get. Per Schefty, Arroyo’s four-year deal is worth $8.813 million with $6.872 million guaranteed.

They surely did well to avoid being in another situation like rookie Shemar Stewart with the Bengals. The first-round pick, who remains unsigned due to a dispute over voidable language that would allow guaranteed money to be waived, might not appear for training camp. Even though his name appears on the list.

Since Arroyo hasn’t played much in 2022 and 2023 due to an injury. A tear in his left ACL. You don’t want him missing any more of the action. If he hadn’t missed out on those seasons, he probably would’ve been picked much earlier. So, signing the contract marks a major milestone for the franchise and the player. Mike Macdonald will not let a player who had first-round potential slip away from his hands. He will make a huge impact as a serious receiving threat at tight end. Something Seattle has lacked all these years.

What does Elijah Arroyo’s presence mean to Noah Fant?

The Seahawks’ expectations for Elijah may be something the 12th might be familiar with. After all, the Seahawks placed the same expectations on Noah Fant when they acquired him from Denver in 2021. And that didn’t quite go as planned. Over the last three seasons with the Seahawks, Fant has only managed to total 1,400 yards and five touchdowns. His role, leaning towards the tight-end day by day. His touchdown against the Rams in January marked his first time finding the end zone since late in 2022. With Elijah now on the roster, where does that leave Noah Fant?

Danno asked SeaSideJoe, “Will Fant be on the 53? My gut says no because Arroyo will look like he can hit the ground running…I have the TE room as Arroyo, Barner, Russell TE3/FB2, and Ouzts FB1/TE4.” While Noah Fant is an asset in the block, if Arroyo can offer both, then why would Mike Macdonald choose Fant to be in the 53-man roster? “Seattle has every reason to trade Fant. Teams may balk at his $8.5 million salary, but I can’t see a 27-year-old with his skillset being released.” If they have everything, they want Arroyo, chance is that Fant might get traded. After all, $8.5million is not a light amount for a player you might not use.

Whether Fant is on the roster the coming season or not, the Seahawks are excited about acquiring Arroyo. “To be that size and move that fast and then have route skill is special, and it creates problems for defenses because you can dictate matchups,” Seahawks assistant general manager Nolan Teasley said. Arroyo will be a game changer if he lives up to the expectations placed on him. We have already seen a story in which expectation turns into disappointment in Fant. In which side of the story do you think Arroyo will be?