What DK Metcalf brings to the Seattle Seahawks WR group

Perhaps nobody was more eager to hear their name called at the 2019 NFL Draft than WR D.K. Metcalf from Ole Miss.

The Seahawks gain more than just a talented athlete in DK Metcalf. And this is a guy who is already being labeled ‘a freak’ athlete by teammates this past weekend at Seattle’s rookie minicamp.

Perhaps nobody was more eager to hear their name called at the 2019 NFL Draft than the big, speedy receiver from Ole Miss.

Metcalf demonstrated his plethora of physical traits and abilities at the Scouting Combine last March. Showing off his physical characteristics, standing tall at 6 foot 3, weighing 228 pounds with very little body fat, he paired sleek 4.33 forty-time and 40-plus inch vertical.

This catapulted him into the top spot as for many as one of the most talked about prospects entering the draft.

However, Metcalf didn’t hear an utter of his name spoken from Commissioner Roger Goodell during the first round. And then he slid all the way down the boards until the very last pick of round two, when Seattle Seahawks GM John Schneider and HC Pete Carroll traded up to give the man the call of a lifetime.

The Seahawks brought in something they haven’t had at the receiver position in a long time: Size (and no Brandon Marshall doesn’t count). For years, the Seahawks have been pursuing the smaller, speedy, and agile weapons like Tyler Lockett, Doug Baldwin and Jermaine Kearse to fit and aid their scrambling quarterback’s, Russell Wilson, style of play.

That has now changed with Metcalf bringing in his fresh and unusually large frame to their receiving lineup.

Metcalf is a passionate player who I believe can lead this receiving core, which is currently being led by Doug Baldwin, but rumors are he may retire. Also, the Seahawks finally acquire an optimal deep-threat for one of, if not, the best deep-thrower in today’s NFL with Wilson.

There is a credible reason for why Metcalf was passed on by so many teams during day one. For as impressive as he looks, the receiver does possess a crucial weakness: wiggle.

At Ole Miss, Metcalf was restricted to a very limited number of routes, which can be attributed to his mediocre agility times he displayed at the Combine. Running a disappointing 7.38 three-cone and 4.50 shuttle. 

How slow is that you might ask? Tom Brady ran a faster three-cone at 7.20 as well as a quicker shuttle, timing at 4.38. Now that’s bad. This is something that second-year OC Brian Schottenheimer and wide receiver coach and son of Pete Carroll, Nathan Carroll, will have to address.

Although, for an optimistic outlook, elite WRs such as Anquan Boldin, Steve Smith and Chad Johnson all ran a slower three-cone time at the NFL Combine than the Patriots QB as well.

Nonetheless, the Seahawks organization made the right call in selecting Metcalf at that point in the draft. And if trained and used correctly, can become one of Seattle’s best receivers since Hall of Fame inductee, Steve Largent.