Seahawks WR Dee Eskridge Entering Make-or-Break Season?

Seattle Seahawks receiver Dee Eskridge is entering his third NFL season looking to finally carve out a role in the offense

In the past few years, the Seattle Seahawks have assembled one of the top receiving corps in the league.

Veteran receiver Tyler Lockett has been around since 2015, but pairing him with 2019 seconds-round pick DK Metcalf gave Seattle one of the best duos in the game. With the addition of first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba in this year's draft, that duo has now become a trio. As if defending Lockett and Metcalf wasn't enough, now opposing defenses will have a third talented receiver to worry about.

Obviously, though, three receivers don't make up an entire receiving group, no matter how good they are. The Seahawks will need at least some production from their depth receivers, and one such player is 2021 second-round pick Dee Eskridge.

Eskridge, the highest of only three picks Seattle made in 2021, has yet to play much of a role in the offense. Through his first two seasons, the 26-year-old has just 17 receptions for 122 yards with one touchdown while dealing with multiple injuries. While he still has a spot on the roster for now, Eskridge will have to prove he can do more this season to keep it. USA Today even named Eskridge as Seattle's player entering a make-or-break year.

"The Seahawks have done extremely well in the last two NFL drafts, but their 2021 class is starting to go bad on the vine," USA Today writes. "Eskridge was their highest of only three picks that year and he has yet to establish a role for himself. With first-round pick Jaxon Smith-Njigba coming in, Eskridge can forget about securing the team’s WR3 role behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf. Now he will not only have to stay healthy (he’s missed 14 games in two years) but prove he offers something as a fourth option in order to stick around any longer than the length of his rookie contract."

Eskridge is currently the fourth receiver on ESPN's depth chart and Metcalf has praised him for his strong offseason, so he will likely make the 53-man roster. He'll look to translate that offseason work into the regular season in order to finally carve a role for himself in the offense. 

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You can find Jonathan Alfano on Twitter @JonAlfano_News

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