Seahawks midseason awards: Rookie of the (half) Year

At the halfway point of 2019, the Seahawks are in great position for the playoffs. Let’s look at who we think has been the outstanding rookie to this point.

The Seahawks have had several rookies make big contributions to their success this year. They have eight rookies on the active roster as of this writing. Each one has made key contributions at different points throughout the season. But which of the kids has been the best so far this season? The 12thManRising staff is happy to present our Seahawks Rookie of the (half) Year.

Contributor Blake Waldron: D.K. Metcalf – The 6′ 4″, 229 lb, mammoth of a rookie receiver has far exceeded expectations and is on pace to surpass any rookie receiver in the Pete Carroll era by both yards and touchdowns. Not only is he making a splash by Seahawks standards but he is tied for 6th in the entire league in yards per reception, and is second in yards out of all rookies. In addition, he also leads the entire league in red zone targets. The explosive wideout has given Wilson and Carroll the big body that they craved for so long. Giving Wilson a deep threat and clearing out his side of the field for underneath routes gives Metcalf the nod, as none of the Seahawks rookies other then Marquise Blair have made a measurable impact.

Contributor Colby Patnode: Ask me again in two weeks and my answer might be different. But for now, I have to give it DK Metcalf. The most exciting pick made this spring, Metcalf has flashed signs of absolute dominance and is on pace for 46 catches, 806 yards, and 8 TDs. For somebody who “couldn’t run routes” or “couldn’t just out athlete NFL DBs” that is one heck of a rookie season. I have a feeling that if Marquise Blair had been given more playing time early, he would be the answer. But the fact that both second-round picks are in this discussion at positions of need is a great sign for the Seahawks going forward.

Contributor Geoff Shull: This was a close pick between Marquise Blair and DK Metcalf. Given the amount of exposure Metcalf has through his first 8 weeks of the season compared to Blair, it would normally make Metcalf a no-brainer. That being said, my pick for Rookie of the Year is Marquise Blair, the 47th pick in the 2019 NFL draft out of Utah. Blair has only started two games this year, however, he has shown an incredibly high football IQ and an intensity to his play that the team has been sorely lacking. Blair has shown great coverage ability, big play ability, a willingness to tackle, and great form doing so in his limited time starting. The silent assassin appears be a great mixture of Earl Thomas’s range and football IQ and Kam Chancellor’s enforcer mentality. He is the one player of this draft that I am excited to see every time he steps on the field, making him my vote.

Co-expert Todd Vandenberg: Almost every rookie on the Seahawks roster has played their part so far this year, but two have stood out above the rest. Safety Marquise Blair got a slow start to the season, but has now played great football in back-to-back games. Wide receiver DK Metcalf hasn’t been the most consistent player by any means, but he’s an extremely dangerous target for Russell Wilson. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Blair catch him by season’s end, but for now, Metcalf gets my vote.

Co-expert Lee Vowell: I would love to say that the rookie of the year would be Seattle’s first round pick L.J. Collier, but he has been an abject failure at this point. Marquise Blair has been a nice addition the last two games. But since the season began the best rookie on the Seahawks has been D.K. Metcalf. Has he been perfect? No. And he makes every catch look tougher than maybe it was. But he’s been good so far.

That gives us four votes for Metcalf, one for Blair, and barely a mention of anyone else. Head coach Pete Carroll has already said we can expect to see more of rookie linebacker Cody Barton, so the picture could change. At mideason, the monster wide receiver DK Metcalf is our pick for Rookie of the Year.