Zabel played 20 total snaps in Seattle's Week 1 preseason tie with the Las Vegas Raiders. The former Bison standout threw several key blocks, creating rushing lanes for the ball-carriers to burst through. Pro Football Focus assigned Zabel an overall grade of 81.2 for that performance, one that gained national acclaim.

Fixing the offensive line was a major focus for John Schneider, Mike Macdonald and staff this offseason and they made that clear as they used the 18th overall pick to select Grey Zabel. The unit has looked much improved in the preseason as Seattle has averaged 219.