5 Observations from Seahawks Sixth Training Camp Practice

A rookie impresses out of the backfield, an old standby continues to strengthen his hold on a starting spot along the offensive line, and DK Metcalf continues to dominate the competition in Seattle's sixth training camp practice.

Back in action at the VMAC, the Seahawks conducted their second straight padded practice on Tuesday before heading into a much-needed off day.

While I'm only allowed to report on drills that take place when Seattle live streams practice, that window included a 1-on-1 drill as well as a team period. Here are five observations from Tuesday's session.

1. DK Metcalf continues to dominate anyone and everyone, including out of the slot.

It shouldn't come as a surprise at this point that trying to cover the 6-foot-3, 228-pound Metcalf has been a chronic source of frustration for Seahawks' cornerbacks throughout training camp. And it will be for defenders on any other team, for that matter. To kickstart 1-on-1 drills, the second-year receiver took an outside release against cornerback Tre Flowers and quickly got a couple steps of separation against him, allowing Russell Wilson to loft a perfectly thrown bomb down the left sideline over his right shoulder for a touchdown. One the next play, he again beat a visibly irritated Flowers, this time on a 15-yard comeback route. Later in the team period, Metcalf caught a pair of passes working out of the slot as well, showing off his increased versatility.

2. Showcasing his receiver background, DeeJay Dallas may be playing his way into the third-down back role.

When Dallas first signed his letter of intent to attend Miami, he originally started his college career with the Hurricanes as a wideout before transitioning to the backfield. Similar to a power hitter in baseball whose bat makes a distinct crack at contact, there's a different sound when the football meets his soft hands as he plucks it out of the air with ease and turns upfield. Consistently getting open against linebackers in one-on-one drills, he made several excellent grabs fully extended, looking like he could easily slide back out the receiver in a pinch. Already known as a strong pass protector and exhibiting tough running while getting blasted in the first two padded practices, Dallas may give his former college teammate Travis Homer a run for his money vying for third down duties.

3. There's a tight competition brewing on the offensive line, but it's not the one everyone thought it would be.

Before training camp started, I thought incoming free agent signee B.J. Finney would settle in as Justin Britt's replacement as starting center. While that may still very well happen, however, Ethan Pocic once again saw all of the first-team reps snapping to Wilson on Tuesday and seems to have the early edge to win a starting spot. Coach Pete Carroll commended the fourth-year lineman for a fantastic offseason prior to practice and back at his natural position, he seems to be taking full advantage of what could be his final shot to impress with the Seahawks. Meanwhile, with Phil Haynes missing his second straight practice, incumbent Mike Iupati has a stronger hold on the left guard job than I expected he would at this stage of camp. Two upcoming mock games at CenturyLink Field loom large in these respective battles and could ultimately determine who starts at both spots against the Falcons on September 13.

4. Attempting to stand out in a crowded linebacker group, Ben Burr-Kirven showed off his playmaking chops.

After only playing special teams as a rookie, Burr-Kirven's status on Seattle's roster became far more tenuous when the organization drafted Jordyn Brooks and re-signed Bruce Irvin this offseason. But by all accounts, he's had a stellar camp thus far and turned in his best practice yet on Tuesday. Excelling in 1-on-1 coverage drills against running backs, he recorded a pair of pass deflections, including one while defending against Homer. Then during the open team period, the former Washington star made several exciting stops against the run, chasing down back-to-back outside runs in pursuit for what would have been tackles for loss, firing up the coaching staff and his teammates. With so much competition around him, Burr-Kirven will need to continue elevating his game to secure a spot on the team, but there's no question he's off to a promising start.

5. Adjusting to a new position, Marquise Blair endured an up-and-down practice as a slot cornerback.

Trying to train for a new position while on the job, Blair expectedly has struggled with consistency during the first week of practice at slot cornerback. Starting in the 1-on-1 period, he got torched by the Tyler Lockett, which is a matchup that doesn't play well to his strengths. But he also had several quality reps in Tuesday's session, including one in coverage against Phillip Dorsett. The ex-Utah standout had near-perfect coverage, suffocating the speedy receiver downfield. Unfortunately, sometimes elite passers beat excellent coverage, and Wilson somehow threw his target open to make the reception along the sideline. Nonetheless, plays such as that one should still be viewed as positive teaching tape for him to learn from and a sign of progress as he competes for playing time against Ugo Amadi.