The preseason is about to start and the battle for roster spots is getting more and more intense. The wide receiver position is one to keep a close eye on for the Seattle Seahawks.
Seahawks coach explains how new rules could change kickoff teams
The top three spots in the rankings are of course secured. They belong to DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, who have the potential to form one of the best receiver trios in the league.
Behind them, Jake Bobo seems to have his role as the No. 4 receiver firmly in place. After making a splash last season as an undrafted rookie free agent out of UCLA, Bobo made two spectacular catches in training camp and continues to show his value on special teams.
“He complements our receiver room well and then we’re really excited about the (special) teams phase,” Seahawks coach Mike Macdonald said after the annual practice on Saturday at Lumen Field. “I think he does more in that phase than a normal receiver would. It will be exciting to see how he fits into the receiver room and how the whole thing develops because we have a lot of talent.”
Two words: Jake. Bobo. 🔥#GoHawks X @BoeingWA pic.twitter.com/kQcgnr7PDL
— Seattle Seahawks (@Seahawks) July 29, 2024
After Bobo things get really interesting.
“One through three, that’s set in stone,” former Seahawks receiver Bryan Walters said Monday as guest host on Seattle Sports’ Bump and Stacy. “Four, that’s pretty much set in stone. I think Bobo has secured the fourth receiver (spot) and he’s shown he can be reliable. But then you go to five and six, I mean, there could be five different guys there.”
NFL teams typically have five or six receivers on their 53-man roster. But under the new kickoff rules – which will likely result in teams using two returners – it’s possible that some teams will opt to keep seven wideouts on their roster.
“I think one of the biggest question marks with this team is going to be how many receivers they’re going to keep,” Walters said. “Do they keep six or five? Do they keep seven? I mean, it could potentially be seven. Probably not that likely, but the way the roster looks, if these guys can play on special teams, they could make it.”
Top contenders for the last WR spots
Here’s a look at the top contenders in the race for the Seahawks’ final wide receiver spots.
• Dee Eskridge: The 2021 second-round pick has struggled to stay on the field in his three seasons in Seattle. He landed on the injured list three times and was suspended for six games last year for violating the NFL’s conduct rules. Even when healthy, his performance hasn’t matched his draft status, as he totaled just 17 catches for 122 yards and one touchdown. But he has flashed potential with his tremendous speed, especially as a kick returner. In 2023, he had eight kick returns for 224 yards, including a 66-yard return against San Francisco that was the third-longest return in the NFL last year.
• Laviska Shenault Jr.: After being drafted in the second round by Jacksonville in 2020, Shenault reached the 600-yard mark in pass receiving in each of his first two seasons with the Jaguars. After a transfer to Carolina, his performance dropped off. He had 272 yards receiving in 2022 and then just 60 yards last year while limited to eight games due to injury. He also has NFL experience in kick return, returning nine kicks for an average of 27.7 yards in his two seasons with the Panthers.
• Dareke Young: As a seventh-round rookie in 2022, Young caught two passes and played 109 offensive snaps. However, he didn’t have a single target last season as a groin injury limited him to just six games. In his two seasons with Seattle, he has played 310 special teams snaps.
• Easop Winston Jr.: The former WSU Cougars star had a great performance in the Seahawks’ final preseason game last year. He spent almost the entire season on the practice squad, but appeared in one game for Seattle and logged a few offensive snaps. He appeared in three games with New Orleans in 2021, catching one pass and returning 10 punts for an 11.9-yard average.
• Cody White: After attending several training camps as an undrafted free agent in 2020, White started with Pittsburgh. He appeared in 16 games with the Steelers in 2021 and 2022, catching six passes for 35 yards. After being released by Pittsburgh during roster cuts last season due to an injury, he landed on the Seahawks’ practice squad.
• Dee Williams: Williams is an undrafted rookie out of Tennessee. In his two seasons with the Volunteers, he averaged a school-record 15.4 yards per return on 35 punt returns. He also returned 13 kickoffs and averaged 21.1 yards per return.
• Hayden Hatten: Hatten is an undrafted rookie out of Idaho, where he rushed for over 1,200 yards in each of the last two seasons and was selected to the Associated Press second-team All-American last fall. He caught 16 touchdowns in 2022, which is a school record, and broke Idaho’s career record with 33 touchdowns.
Listen to the entire conversation between Michael Bumpus and Bryan Walters at this link or in the audio player at the top of this story. Tune in to Bump and Stacy weekdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. or find the podcast on the Seattle Sports app.
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