Can Ryan Grubb Elevate Ceiling for Decorated Seattle Seahawks Receiving Corps?

Already viewed as one of the best units in the NFL, the Seahawks hope the arrival of Ryan Grubb will maximize the talent of DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba.

Nov 1, 2020; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Tyler Lockett (16) and wide receiver DK Metcalf (14) return to the locker room following a 37-27 victory against the San Francisco 49ers at CenturyLink Field. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Though the trio made history from a franchise perspective in 2023, the Seattle Seahawks believe there's more to unlock for DK Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba in a high voltage offense orchestrated by new coordinator Ryan Grubb.

Adding Smith-Njigba to the mix as a first-round pick a year ago alongside Metcalf and Lockett, who each surpassed 1,000 yards in the same season for the second time in 2022, the Seahawks expected to have one of the most prolific passing attacks in the NFL. As a collective group, they became the first trifecta of wideouts in team history to each eclipse 60 catches, 600 receptions, and four touchdowns apiece in the same season, but the passing game still ranked just 14th overall in yardage and 20th in touchdowns despite their production.

Coming to the NFL for the first time after a dominant two-year run as play caller at Washington where his offense ranked in the top three in passing in 2022 and 2023, Grubb will aim to engineer similar success moving next door to the VMAC, inheriting an offense with a talented veteran quarterback in Geno Smith and the aforementioned group of receivers that share plenty of parallels to Michael Penix Jr. and the star-studded wideouts he coached in Montlake.

In particular, Cigar Thoughts host Jacson Bevens believes Smith-Njigba stands to gain the most from the arrival of Grubb, who he expects will do a better job than his predecessor of moving the talented wideout around the formation and allowing him to attack opponents as more of a downfield threat, conjuring up a fascinating player comp in the process.

"I think we're finally going to open the rest of the present," Bevens said of Smith-Njigba's upside in Grubb's offense. "They used Jaxon Smith-Njigba like he was [Cardinals receiver] Rondale Moore last year. That's not his game. This is not some converted running back where you just get the ball in his hands and he gets you five or six yards. Smith-Njigba is an extremely polished wide receiver... the way he was used was all around the line of scrimmage. You can tell he hated it and I would hate it too! This is a guy who had 300 yards in the Rose Bowl at 18 years old. You watch his college tape and he wins all different kinds of ways. To me, he's Keenan Allen with juice."

On a new episode of Locked On Seahawks, hosts Corbin Smith and Rob Rang check in with Bevens for his thoughts about realistic expectations for Metcalf and a loaded receiving corps playing in Grubb's high-powered offense, Smith-Njigba's odds at a breakout season in a new scheme, Lockett's role moving forward while potentially passing the torch as the No. 2 wideout, and more in a jam-packed training camp preview.

Listen to the latest Locked On Seahawks in entirety here or subscribe for free to the podcast platform of your choice here.

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