Last year in the 2019 draft when Seattle traded up to select Ole Miss WR D.K. Metcalf, there was a lot of buzz in Seattle. Metcalf was one of the top prospects in the draft at the WR position and was projected to be a top 10 pick.
Metcalf somehow fell to the 2nd round and the Seattle Seahawks selected him with the 64th overall pick. DK Metcalf showed off his athletic ability at the combine running a 4.3 forty-yard dash and bench pressing 225 pounds 27 times. But he struggled with his shuttle and three cone time and that led to large overreaction by the media.
DK Metcalf ran a 7.38 cone time and 4.5 shuttle time. Both scores were worse than QB Tom Brady. But what the media failed to realize was that those were skills he could work on. Change of direction is something that can be improved upon with both hard work and experience with route running in the league.
All the scouts and experts that were laughing then are serious now and are the same ones claiming that he is a future star in the league. DK Metcalf proved his critics wrong by running impressive routes and showing off his lightning speed in his rookie season with the Seahawks. He also showed up in one of the biggest games of the season: wild card weekend against the Philadelphia Eagles. Metcalf caught 7 passes for 160 yards and recorded 1 touchdown. In doing so, he set the NFL rookie record for receiving yards in a game after shredding the Eagles defense.
In totality, Metcalf put up the following numbers in his rookie year:
58 REC, 900 YDs, 7 TDs
Coming into his sophomore season, Metcalf has high hopes for himself and the team. The Seahawks are a super bowl contender, and many expect the offense to be more explosive this season. If the Seahawks give Russ more opportunities at throwing and being aggressive from the beginning of the game, Metcalf will play a crucial role in that. Regardless, he has developed great chemistry and trust with his star quarterback.
Metcalf has been one of the highlights of Seahawks camp thus far. During quarantine, Metcalf spent a lot of his time training, specifically, working on his route running. His coaches have been impressed and so have some of his fellow teammates.
One of the newest Seahawks, CB Quinton Dunbar, has reported to camp after his legal issues were cleared up and is excited about the opportunity to line up against Metcalf. For now, he has been observing from the sidelines and has had high praise for the second year wide out:
“I haven’t been practicing too much, so I haven’t really gotten to go up against those guys. But watching from the sideline, Metcalf looks amazing man – looks like Julio (Jones) out there. I’m looking forward to getting better with him and matching up with him when I do get those intensive reps.”
Metcalf presents a lot of defensive backs with problems simply due to his size. He currently stands at 6 feet 3 inches tall and 228 pounds. Combining that with his lethal speed and now, improved route running, Metcalf is going to be causing a lot of headaches for defenses.
Not only will it be hard to guard against Metcalf in his regular routes, but especially so, when the play breaks down and Mr. Escape Artist himself, Russell Wilson, creates more time for Metcalf to sneak behind the defense.