Seahawks 2021 draft target: Demetric Felton to help Russell Wilson

While DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett are obviously great weapons for this team, I think Shane Waldron will end up wanting one more explosive player to use as a gadget.  The guy they need to go after is UCLA’s Demetric Felton.

Felton had a productive collegiate career for the most part, playing a mix of running back and wide receiver for the team.  He shined as part of an overall mediocre offense, which tells me that when paired with Russell Wilson he’ll be even better as a pro.

I think Demetric Felton would serve in a unique role as a Seahawk.  He would be primarily a 3rd-down running back when playing that position, as he’s a highly rated pass blocker and is also an excellent route runner with good hands.  He’s not built to be a workhorse back, and he may get outmuscled by strong edge rushers, but he’s certainly an upgrade from Travis Homer.

The Seahawks need another playmaker on offense

He could also serve as a primary jet sweep runner.  Though he runs a slow 40-yard dash (4.55 seconds), his quickness and ability to jump to the outside are impressive, and it seems as though his acceleration is off the charts.  I think his 40 time tells a lie.  If you watch the tape of this guy, it’s clear that he has the speed to consistently take the ball to the secondary.

Finally, Felton could help out in the special teams game as a kick and punt returner, replacing DJ Reed.  If Reed starts at corner for Seattle this year, I don’t think they will feel comfortable sending him out there to return each kick and risking injury.

Should Seahawks take Felton over other positions?

I believe so.  While he’s an explosive player, his 2020 season was cut way short because of the pandemic.  Because of the lack of game time, Felton served as a full-time running back at UCLA and his not-so-impressive 40 time, he’s fallen down draft boards.  Here are his rankings on a few sites that I found:

Pro Football Network:  5th Round, Number 169

Pro Football Focus:  5th Round, Number 175

The Draft Network:  Undrafted, Number 306

With the Seahawks likely to trade back in the draft, they should easily have a 4th-5th round pick to spend on a player with the upside that Demetric Felton has.  I think he would be a fun addition to the Shane Waldron scheme, and he could be an excellent tool for Russell Wilson to dump the ball off to on short plays.