Seahawks Post-Offseason Depth Chart Review: Receivers

While it remains to be seen who will be throwing to them in the regular season, Seattle's receiving corps remains one of the most talented in the NFL and could be even better with the emergence of several young wideouts on the roster.

With Russell Wilson now residing in the Mile High City, the Seahawks have plenty of quarterback questions short and long-term. But heading into the 2022 season, veterans Drew Lock and Geno Smith will be aided by the presence of one of the best receiving groups in the NFL.

Since 2019, DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett stand out as two of only seven receivers in the entire NFL with more than 3,000 receiving yards and 25 touchdowns. To put their impressive performances in perspective, they are one of two receiving duos from the same team in that select group, with only Tyreek Hill and Travis Kelce of the Chiefs amassing such numbers.

While not having Wilson at the helm could cause their respective numbers to plummet, Metcalf and Lockett are transcendent talents at the receiver position capable of elevating their quarterback's play. the Seahawks also have other legitimate weapons behind them with Dee Eskridge, Freddie Swain, rookies Bo Melton and Dareke Young, and veteran Marquise Goodwin headlining a deep, versatile depth chart on the outside.

Heading into their annual six-week moratorium between organized team activities and training camp, how does the Seahawks receiving corps look? Diving into the depth chart, here's an updated look at the projected starters, a sleeper to watch, a potential wild card to keep an eye on, and a player squarely on the roster bubble.

Projected Starters: DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett

Though neither player quite replicated their numbers across the board from the 2020 season, Metcalf and Lockett once again stood out amongst their peers as one of the best receiving duos in the NFL. Coming off a Second-Team All-Pro selection, even while playing through a foot injury that prevented him from practicing most of the week and required surgery in the offseason, Metcalf set a new career-best with 12 receiving touchdowns while adding 75 receptions for 967 yards in 17 starts. Interestingly, he was at his most effective last season with Smith under center, posting two of his three highest receiving yardage totals in games where the backup played substantial snaps.

As for Lockett, while he didn't hit triple-digits in the receptions department for a second consecutive season, he set a new personal-high with 1,175 yards and averaged north of 16 yards per reception for only the second time in his career. Along with scoring at least eight touchdowns for the fourth consecutive season, he joined Steve Largent as the second receiver in franchise history to produce three straight 1,000-yard campaigns. Regardless of who plays quarterback, the former Kansas State star has been as consistent as any wideout in the game in all facets and should remain a top target for Smith or Lock.

Sleeper: Bo Melton

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Trying to crack a deep receiving rotation headlined by Metcalf and Lockett won't be an easy undertaking for an incoming rookie. But the versatile Melton should be an intriguing fit in offensive coordinator Shane Waldron's offense due to his positional flexibility. He can run routes or take handoffs from the slot, has played out of the backfield in the past, and has extensive experience playing the X and Z spots on the outside. An underrated route runner whose overall college production was hampered by poor quarterback play at Rutgers - he never posted more than 700 receiving yards in a season - he possesses legitimate 4.34 40-yard dash speed and could be an early impact player both on offense and special teams if he's fully recovered from a nagging hamstring issue that kept him out of most of Seattle's offseason program.

Wild Card: Dee Eskridge

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Drafted out of Western Michigan in the second round, the Seahawks anticipated Eskridge would provide an immediate complement to Metcalf and Lockett using his speed, explosiveness, and tackle-breaking prowess out of the slot. However, he missed extensive time in the offseason program and training camp with a sore toe and then suffered a severe concussion when he got blasted near the sideline in a season-opening win over the Colts, leading to him missing the next seven games. After registering only 10 catches for 64 yards and a touchdown, Seattle will be banking on the former Indiana Mr. Track and Field to rebound and if he can avoid the injuries that derailed his rookie year, the talent remains in place for him to emerge as one of the best tertiary receiver options in the league.

On The Bubble: Cody Thompson

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A prime example of where perseverance can take a player in the NFL, Thompson has slowly but steadily improved from a fringe practice squad receiver into a viable NFL talent over the past three seasons. After not appearing in any games in 2020, the ex-Toledo standout dressed for five games and played 47 special teams snaps, recovering a blocked punt in the season finale against Arizona. Enjoying a strong offseason program, passing game coordinator Sanjay Lal praised him by saying "he's had the best spring of any receiver" on the roster and excels at transitioning practice reps into team drills. Deemed underrated by Lock, who worked out with him in Dallas this spring, nobody should be counting him out in pursuit of one of the final roster spots due to his route running savvy and special teams capabilities.

Seahawks Post-Offseason Depth Chart Reviews

Quarterbacks | Running Backs | Receivers | Tight Ends | Tackles | Guards | Centers

EDGE/Outside Linebackers | Defensive Tackles | Linebackers | Cornerbacks | Safeties