Grading the Seahawks pick of D.K. Metcalf

The Seattle Seahawks spent much of the first day and a half of the 2019 NFL Draft trading down and acquiring more picks. But then, they got aggressive and made a big trade up the board to select a wide receiver.

Of course, when the Seahawks trade up, it is big enough news in general. But when they trade up to select one of the most polarizing figures in this years draft, things get cranked up a notch. The Seahawks traded picks 77 and 118 to the Patriots for Pick 64 and selected Ole Miss wide receiver, D.K. Metcalf.

Metcalf burst onto the scene when a photo of him at the gym was tweeted out this winter. The guy is jacked. Like insanely jacked. In fact, some would say he is too jacked, but more on that later. Metcalf went on to destroy the combine, further cementing his “workout warrior” title.

At 6’3″ and 230 pounds, he ran a 4.33 forty yard dash. He put up 27 reps of 225 lbs on the bench press. He jumped a 40 inch vertical, and an 11’2″ broad jump. All elite numbers for his size and position. But then, the agility drills happened.

To say that his short shuttle and 3-cone drills were bad is an understatement. He tested about as well as Tom Brady did. For a wide receiver, that is a major red flag. There are also major concerns that he is a one trick pony. Metcalf is an amazing deep ball player but lacks much of a route tree.

He basically ran just 3-routes at Ole Miss: a go route, a nine route, and a slant. He was fast and strong enough to blow by DBs, but we don’t know if that will translate to the NFL. He also battled injuries in his 3-years in the SEC and as a result, he only snagged 67 passes in his career.

The upside with Metcalf is tremendous. NFL.com compares him to Josh Gordon. If he can shed some muscle and add some agility, he could be special. Metcalf will get early opportunities for the Seahawks but is probably a candidate for a third-year breakout type down the road.

All in all, this pick is a risk. But it was also the Seahawks third pick in this draft, and they are still set up beautifully for the third and fourth round.

Grade: B