With Senior Bowl coming to a close, numerous players had a chance to prove themselves before the NFL Scouting Combine in March. North Dakota State’s Grey Zabel is no exception. Zabel was one of the Senior Bowl’s brightest stars, and such rocketed him up draft boards.

In PFF’s most recent 2025 NFL Mock Draft, experts project the Kansas City Chiefs to land Zabel at the end of the first round.

One of the biggest risers at the Senior Bowl, Zabel has catapulted himself into first-round consideration. While he played tackle at NDSU, he took extensive snaps on the interior during Senior Bowl practices, where he excelled in pass protection — a performance emblematic of his 93.1 pass-blocking grade in 2024.

With Trey Smith likely to land a lucrative contract in free agency, the Chiefs can find a high-upside replacement in Zabel. A key piece in North Dakota State’s championship run, he brings a winning mentality to an offense that thrives on elite interior play.

– PFF

Although he spent most of his time on the outside of the offensive line during the season, Zabel seemed to excel in the interior during Senior Bowl practices. Zabel was an integral part of NDSU’s championship run, where they eked out the victory against Montana State 35-32 for their 10th ever FCS Championship.

With G Trey Smith likely leaving in Free Agency after this season, the Chiefs will need to fill his spot through FA or the Draft. Having a lineman who has proven himself in both the tackle and guard position is a true luxury in the NFL.

Similar to former NDSU QB Trey Lance, many scouts will argue against the level of competition in the FCS compared to the FBS division. However, Zabel has made tremendous strides in the Senior Bowl, where he showed very clearly that he’s able to compete with the best in college football.

The offensive line of Kansas City is already established, with the trio of Smith, C Creed Humphrey, and LT Joe Thuney acting as true anchors. With Thuney already moving from guard to tackle, Zabel would have the opportunity to learn from the best in the business. This would also allow the Chiefs to place Zabel anywhere on the line, which is not something many linemen are capable of.

Trey Smith could be out the door, and Grey Zabel might just be the perfect replacement.