North Dakota State offensive lineman Grey Zabel reaches for a drink during the school's NFL football pro day, Thursday, March, 27, 2025, in Fargo, N.D. (AP Photo/Russell Hons)
The NFL draft is synonymous for changing the lives of 257 players and families. Whether a guy gets drafted in the first round on Thursday night, or receives the “Mr. Irrelevant” jersey for being taken with the final pick on Saturday, dreams are realized and careers take flight when their names are called in that three-day span. The great part about it is you get to see those moments when the draftees and their families comprised of mothers, fathers, sisters and brothers all see the years of hard work and sacrifices come to fruition. What can be forgotten is the many members of the extended family back home where these same players got their start. A majority of players you see drafted come from highly populated areas with deep rooted traditions of high school football. It’s not uncommon a player gets drafted from a city with a six-figure, and even seven-figure population. The odds just weigh in favor of populous cities because of how much sample size there is, there is just bound to be a few NFL players mixed in. What isn’t common is someone coming from a small town, like Pierre, South Dakota, whose entire population could only fill a quarter of an NFL stadium. Even more rare, a player from a town like Pierre going in the first round. But Grey Zabel is poised to do just that in a few days when the 2025 NFL Draft commences.
Zabel, as humble as he is imposing, wanted to start his career at the family farm, but his football talent was good enough to delay that career for one in the NFL. Grey is a talent at the offensive line position that all 32 teams in the NFL would wish to have. A versatile athlete, Zabel has steadily grown his draft stock through his time dominating upfront at North Dakota State University. A plug-and-play guy (someone who can start immediately in the NFL) is something not often seen out of the draft, even in the first round. Only a handful of offensive players taken will be on the field for the first snap of the 2025 NFL season. While still elite athletes, it still takes time for some of these guys to develop. The NFL is a different animal than we see at the collegiate level, so the fact teams believe he can start day one is impressive. Equally as impressive as the fact that he comes from a Group of Five school. On Thursday night, you will hear a lot of players picked from schools in the SEC, Big 10 and ACC. You may only hear one name from a conference outside the Power Five, Grey Zabel. It takes a special talent not only to be invited to the draft, but furthermore be projected to go on the first night. Zabel has that talent. Not only did Zabel turn a lot of heads in his collegiate career, he made himself a lot of money at the Senior Bowl when front offices really started to take notice. The only hesitancy around Zabel after his final year at NDSU wrapped up was the question of if he could play against guys from those larger conferences. He answered those and passed that test with flying colors thanks to his performances at the Senior Bowl in front of a swath of NFL scouts and coaches. Almost every mock draft you can find has Zabel taken mid to late first round, including Daniel Jeremiah’s, a well respected NFL writer. Jeremiah was asked on the top ranked sports podcast in the world ‘Pardon my Take’, “Who is one guy in this draft that is in a Group of Five school that you think might be a sleeper, a guy who you will get that will be an excellent player? Who is one guy that stands out?” His answer, “Well I just go immediately to Grey Zabel from North Dakota State. First of all they’ve put offensive linemen in the NFL, they know how to coach ’em, they know how to identify ’em.” he continues, “[Guys like Zabel] go to the Senior Bowl, they not only hold their own, they’re pretty dominate down there. He can play all five positions, he’s that immediate name who pops right into my head”.
When Zabel’s name is likely called on Thursday night, he will have more than just his family jumping off their couch with excitement. When you grow up in a family-first town like Pierre and bring welcomed attention to it, you become welded into the fabric of the community. It’s the old saying ‘everybody knows everybody’. The city of Pierre has an “all hands on deck” mentality to it where we all fight through the tough winters together, shovel each others walk when needed, cling to the summer days while we have them, and of course, love Governor football. That’s why Zabel’s journey from winning State Championships as a Governor, through his NDSU career and an impending NFL draft selection feels so surreal around this town. It seems everyone outside of South Dakota is starting to learn about this hidden gem that Pierre natives knew was going to be great all along. People of Pierre love to have something to be proud of, and Zabel is the type of person everyone here loves to see successful. Simply put, Zabel’s accomplishments are shared with the community he grew up in and helped shape him into who he is today.
Zabel’s high school head coach at Pierre, Steve Steele, is a great example of how the community can envelop you and make you never want to leave. With Zabel, Steele encountered great success that has continued on long after Zabel graduated. “The thing that always made Grey special was his mind. He had the speed, size, and work ethic which made him a great player. But his mind was what truly set him apart from other great players. He loved the game of football, studied it, and was always looking for creative ways to get better himself or to help his team get better. That’s one of the things I missed most after he graduated was having random impromptu football chats throughout the day that may or may not have made us a little late in classes a time or two.” Said Steele. 7 State Championships in 8 trips to the dome, countless college athletes produced, but maybe his proudest accomplishment is his dedicated work with the Boys & Girls Club of the Capital Area. As is customary with this much success on the gridiron, college teams have come calling. But Steele, admittedly, wants to keep his family planted in Pierre where he has built countless relationships and has become part a cornerstone of the community. Steele also is extremely close with not only his former player, but his family as well, “It’s hard to accurately articulate just how much the Zabel family has meant to my own family. They were among the first people we met in moving to Pierre and really for the first 8 years here, Tanna was one of the “Team Moms” and did so much to help out in lining up parents for carb feeds, or really anything the team needed. Mark and Tanna were always so positive with us, even when we hit bumps in the road, or when injuries happened. I always appreciated how much they supported all of the athletic programs and how they never hesitate to love up our little ones (and the other coaches) as they came along through the years. They raised kids who were the very same way in being so good to the next generation both “officially” as a part of our program and unofficially just saying hi when they see them around town. Extending even beyond them with Grey’s grandparents Denny & Karol, they have been and always will be a special family in this community and staunch supporters of it so far beyond their children’s time in Governor Green. I know I speak for so many in Pierre in saying how thankful we are for the Zabel family as a whole, and how excited we are for them in this special time!”
Zabel will be a steal for whatever teams grabs him should he go in the first round. Zabel can play just about any position up front which drives up his value immensely. There really isn’t anything flashy about drafting an offensive lineman, but it can often be one of the most important picks a team makes. Quarterback is the most important, and most expensive position on the field, so naturally you need the best of the best to protect him. Teams may have differing opinions on QB styles, structures of WR rooms and how a defense should be run, but they all agree that offensive line is a position that must be solid or else nothing else works. Zabel will answer a lot of questions for one NFL team this upcoming season, now, it is all just a matter of who takes him. Miami, who is picking 13th, is in desperate need of a lineman after veteran Terron Armstead retired. The Indianapolis Colts, drafting at 14, have three linemen a year away from free agency, so it would make sense for them to take someone like Zabel with their first pick. Arizona at 16 has a good o-line, but not great, and they feel they’re one piece away from having a dominant front five. Seattle at 18 has been a popular landing spot for Zabel in the mock drafts as they need to beef up the interior of their o-line after acquiring a few pieces on offense to improve the WR room. One of the most exciting propositions for Zabel could be at 24 where the Vikings pick. Minnesota only has four picks in this years draft due to some trades, but one glaring need is that of protecting whomever will be taking snaps for them next season. If the Vikings took Zabel, he would be taking snaps about as close to home as you can get in the NFL being from Pierre.
Wherever he ends up, it is going to do a lot for his hometown. It will give the Govs the opportunity to hang a banner reminding everyone they produced a potential first-round draft pick in the NFL, something the school has never seen happen. It will create conversations in the local coffee shop about the days when he used to don Governor green, and the proud memories so many have shared with him and his family. Zabel has already made Pierre proud, now it is his opportunity to relish in the spotlight.
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