Seattle Seahawks 90-Man Roundup: Will Dareke Young Rebound From Injury-Marred Season?

After flashing some promise as a rookie, injuries prevented Dareke Young from being a factor for the Seahawks last season and he'll have plenty of competition for a roster spot in 2024.

Seahawks receiver Dareke Young looks for a play call before a drill during an OTA practice. / Corbin Smith/All Seahawks

With OTAs wrapping up across the NFL, the Seattle Seahawks will open training camp at the VMAC in just under two months, officially ushering in the first season under new coach Mike Macdonald.

In preparation for the new incoming season, we'll be detailing every member of the Seahawks 90-man roster over the next several weeks, diving into scheme fits, exploring best and worst case scenarios and predicting what to expect from each player entering the 2024 campaign.

Looking to rebound from a lost sophomore season, can Dareke Young carve out a meaningful role in a deep receiving corps in Seattle?

Background

Starring as a running back and receiver at Lenoir Rhyne, a Division II program in North Carolina, Young blew away scouts with an impressive pro day workout. After bringing him in for a top-30 official visit, the Seahawks drafted him in the seventh round, adding to an already deep receiving corps. Even with stars such as DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett in front of him on the depth chart, he showed enough in his first training camp at receiver and on special teams to lock up a spot on the team's 53-man roster.
Though Young barely played on offense for most of his rookie season, he emerged as one of Seattle's best young special teams players and saw an expanded role later in the season. Unfortunately, a hernia injury set him back tremendously in 2023, as he played in just three games with no receptions.

Scheme Fit

Limited to just eight offensive snaps last season, Young wasn't able to exhibit his versatility, but that may be the key for him to stand out in a crowded receiving corps. As a rookie, per Pro Football Focus, he played most of his snaps as an outside receiver, but he also saw 29 snaps in the slot as well as nine in the backfield, where he moonlighted as a fullback. That flexibility could be enticing for a new coaching staff.

Best Case Scenario

Showing no ill effects from the hernia injury that derailed his sophomore season, a fully healthy Young resurfaces as one of Seattle's best special teams players, including contributing on kick returns. After catching seven passes in the preseason and also receiving a carry on a jet sweep, he snags the sixth and final receiver spot over Dee Eskridge.

Worst Case Scenario

Following the addition of Laviska Shenault to go with a rejuvenated Eskridge as well as Jake Bobo, Young doesn't see many snaps on offense during the preseason and isn't in contention to return kicks for the Seahawks, making him expendable during final roster cuts before returning as a practice squad member.

What to Expect in 2024

In terms of athletic traits, Young still stacks up favorably against most of his peers at receiver, and he did show plenty of promise as a rookie when he wasn't battling injuries. His ability to play inside and outside as a receiver while also having the skills to play in the backfield occasionally add intrigue as a moveable asset in Ryan Grubb's offense as well. If he's able to show more consistency catching the football in the preseason and gets back to his stellar play on special teams, maintaining a roster spot remains within reach.

But with no shortage of competition for a handful of roster spots behind Metcalf, Lockett, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba, including a talented special teams player in Shenault who has a far better track record making an impact on offense, Young is far from a guarantee to stick on the active roster for a third season. He will have to demonstrate improvements as a receiver and continue to be an indispensable special teamer in order to fend off new challengers. Otherwise, a practice squad spot or landing elsewhere may be the final result coming out of camp and the preseason.

Previous 90-Man Roundups

Buddha Jones | Devin Richardson | TaMerik Williams | Rason Williams II | Ro Torrence | Nathan Pickering | Dee Williams | Devere Levelston | Kobe Lewis | Sunny Anderson | Mike Novitsky | Max Pircher | Easton Gibbs | Hayden Hatten | Garret Greenfield | Carlton Johnson | Matt Gotel |George Holani | Cody White | Ty Okada | Drake Thomas | McClendon Curtis | Easop Winston Jr. |Nelson Ceaser | Jonathan Sutherland | Lance Boykin | Joshua Onujiogu | Patrick O'Connell |Jack Westover | Raiqwon O'Neal | Tyler Mabry