Jake Bobo's Rise With Seattle Seahawks is Becoming Inevitable

Continuing to turn in some of the best training camp outings of any Seahawks player, wide receiver Jake Bobo's ceiling remains one of the team's most thrilling mysteries.

Seattle Seahawks receiver Jake Bobo runs after the catch during a passing drill at training camp. / Corbin Smith/Seahawks On SI

Even with the influx of talent arriving with the Seattle Seahawks this offseason, both rookies and veterans, second-year wide receiver Jake Bobo has been among the top standouts through 10 training camp practices.

Bobo, an undrafted free agent out of UCLA in 2023, has made highlight-reel catches, proved he has arguably the surest hands on the team and continues to be a force while blocking in the run game. Though an unspectacular athlete on paper, Bobo is living proof athletic testing is merely one of many factors that should be weighed when evaluating NFL prospects.

His fluid change of direction and ability to manipulate defenders with his route pacing are among the intangibles that don’t show up on Pro Day or NFL Scouting Combine marks. It’s all in the tape.

At UCLA’s 2023 Pro Day, Bobo ran a 4.99 40-yard dash. It was in the rain, to be fair, but Bobo has said in the past his better 40 times were in the low 4.70s. Even his 3-cone drill time, which should highlight his change of direction, body control and agility, clocked in at a 7.09 — just under two-tenths of a second slower than the NFL average.

Bobo told Seahawks.com reporter John Boyle on Aug. 23, 2023 — six days before it was announced he made the 53-man roster as a rookie — not being drafted wasn’t a surprise after the combine process “didn’t showcase my best traits.”

It’s been nearly a year since, and the former Duke and UCLA wideout has only continued to display his value to an NFL roster. Barring poor performances in the preseason and the rest of camp, there’s an argument for Bobo being the standout of two consecutive Seahawks training camps.

As a weapon

Bobo’s role in the offense is still developing, especially as a pass-catcher. On any other team that knows how to utilize his strengths, Bobo would be a regular contributor.

The hurdle, of course, is the Seahawks have DK Metcalf, Jaxon Smith-Njigba and Tyler Lockett all ahead of him on the depth chart, a quality pass-catching tight end in Noah Fant and a two-headed monster at running back with Ken Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. There’s only one football.

That said, in Bobo’s limited opportunities last season (24 targets), he caught 19 passes for 196 yards and two touchdowns. He also rushed once for three yards and a score. Both receiving scores flashed his elite body control, with each requiring Bobo to tap both feet in bounds at the back or right boundaries of the end zone.

The first, against Carolina in Week 3, saw Bobo fake a block before shooting inside toward the goalposts and high-pointing a throw by quarterback Geno Smith in the back of the end zone.

In Week 6 versus Arizona, off a double move, Bobo went up over cornerback Starling Thomas — who was glued to the wideout — and pulled in a one-handed grab that was originally ruled incomplete in the back-right corner before being overturned.

Oct 22, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jake Bobo (19) catches a pass for a touchdown over Arizona Cardinals cornerback Starling Thomas V (24) during the first half at Lumen Field. / Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports

“I don’t see him drop a lot of footballs; it seems like he comes down with a bunch of them,” head coach Mike Macdonald said after the team’s mock game at Lumen Field on Saturday. “But I think he complements our receiving room well, and we’re excited in the team’s phase. I think he provides more than a normal receiver would provide in that phase, too, and then it’ll be fun to see how he fits in the receiver room and how that thing all shapes up because we got a lot of talent.”

Bobo is going to be involved in one way or another. His performance in training camp translated to the regular season last year, and that’s not expected to change in 2024. With three other receivers racking up north of 600 receiving yards last season, volume remains the lead question.

He played more than 40 offensive snaps just once in 2023, per PFF, and that was against Arizona in Week 6 — finishing with four catches (five targets) for 61 yards and a score. The one target he didn’t catch was a poor throw by Smith that resulted in an interception.

After seeing 17 targets from weeks 1–10, Bobo was targeted eight times over the final seven games and never surpassed 10 yards receiving in a single game, per Pro Football Reference. Whether that was a scheme adjustment or just bad luck, Bobo is making a case this preseason to have more passes thrown his way.

As a utility player

Last season, among wide receivers with at least 100 run-blocking snaps, Bobo was the second highest-graded player with a 77.6 grade, per Pro Football Focus. That trailed only the Los Angeles Rams’ Puka Nacua (78.1).

He’s physical, has outstanding technique for a wideout and makes an impact without the ball in his hands. Whether on the perimeter or in the slot, that ability is a weapon in itself.

That skill also translates to special teams, and Bobo took 91 of his 137 special teams snaps on kick returns as a blocker, per PFF. With the new kickoff rules, Bobo could be a primary blocker helping open up lanes for Seattle’s returners. If the Seahawks do begin scheming for the kickoff with pseudo-run designs, his skill set will be especially valuable.

It’s clear Bobo has focused heavily on technique and the mental side of the game to stand out in areas where others may rely on athleticism. So much so, in fact, he’s becoming a wealth of knowledge for other players.

“Bobo’s got that swag. That’s something that we love about him,” Smith said of his wideout after practice on Friday, July 26. “He makes plays all over the field. Super smart, knows where to be, knows where to line up. I call him ‘Coach Bobo.’ If you got a question, ask Bobo. He’s got the answer. We love Bobo here. I love playing with him and hopefully, I can continue to help him get better.”

There's no sense in evaluating Bobo like most other NFL receivers. His production — at least so far — and athletic testing numbers don't jump off the page, but everything else about his profile screams for Seattle to wait and see what his ceiling could be in the league.