The Seattle Seahawks suddenly need some wide receiver help, though that isn't expected to come in free agency. The players still available to sign don't offer any real upgrade for the team. Instead, with Jake Bobo out for the season and Tory Horton struggling with an unknown ailment, Seattle's answer to its wideout quandary needs to come from within.
At least the team has a couple more preseason games and practices to see who might help, which means 2026 sixth-round selection Emmanuel Henderson Jr. has plenty of opportunities to prove he not only belongs on the roster but could also make an impact in real games.
Seattle isn't expected to play its starters much, if at all, in preseason Week 2 when the Seahawks take on the Tennessee Titans in Nashville. Henderson didn't play in preseason Week 1 as he was dealing with a minor injury, but he is healthy and practicing now and needs to make the most of his limited chances.
Emmanuel Henderson Jr. might have a chance in preseason Week 2 to have an impact for the Seattle Seahawks
Depending on how early Henderson gets in the game, he could be productive against the Titans' starters. Many played in the team's first preseason game, and head coach Robert Saleh has said everyone is available to play against the Seahawks. If Henderson can do good things against Tennessee's starters, that would be far more meaningful than later in the game, of course.
Henderson began his career at the University of Alabama, but had a number of injuries affect his college career. He then transferred to Kansas to end his time in college. Last year, he averaged 17 yards per catch and was solid as a kick returner, too.
He has decent size at nearly 6'1", but might need to gain some weight to hold up against the brutal force of NFL defenders. He also won't get many reps should he make the team, but that isn't the most important aspect of Henderson making the team. Instead, he simply needs to make the most of the reps he does get.
The Seattle Seahawks are obviously hoping that Jaxon Smith-Njigba will be elite again, and Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed can be good contributors. Kupp was second on the team in receiving yards in 2025, but he was also 1,200 yards behind JSN. That level of discrepancy between WR1 and WR2 needs to change, as opposing defenses will eventually adjust.
Emmanuel Henderson could be the explosive force that Seattle needs in one-on-one coverage as opponents rotate more to Smith-Njigba's side. Henderson has the quickness to win individual battles, but he's been too often injured in college to prove he can.
The Seahawks took him for a reason, though, and that is that he can make a game-changing play at any point. He should have a chance against the Titans to show he belongs on the roster. If he does that, he could make the kind of impact in real games that sixth-rounders often don't have an opportunity to do.
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