When he was a player, Steve Smith Sr. was among the most underrated receivers in NFL history. That may seem odd to say about a five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro. But when you consider that Smith ranks eighth all-time in receiving yards and is not in the Hall of Fame, perhaps that disrespect is ongoing.
For the record, no other HOF-eligible receiver ahead of him is not already enshrined.
Back in 2017, when Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cooper Kupp was coming out of college, Smith ranked him as the best receiver in his class. And Smith was laughed at. Kupp was slow. He didn’t have the suddenness you look for in an explosive receiver.
What does Cooper Kupp bring to the Seahawks?
Smith argued that Kupp ran routes better than anyone he saw that year and that his insane production in college provided proof.
Eight years later, it seems that maybe Steve Smith knew what he was talking about. The six wideouts drafted ahead of Kupp in 2017 – Cory Davis, Mike Williams, John Ross, Zay Jones, Curtis Samuel, and JuJu Smith-Schuster – have averaged 326 catches and 3,662 yards in their careers.
Kupp has doubled those numbers. Now, he is a member of the Seattle Seahawks, helping fill the gap created by the departures of DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Kupp turns 32 this summer and has had some injury issues over the past few years. So it is fair to ask what he may have left.
Based on the early reports from Seahawks’ OTAs, Kupp looks to be operating at full strength. That doesn’t guarantee anything for the season, but it is a great place to start. If Cooper Kupp can perform as he has when healthy over the past few seasons, he will give Seattle’s offense a huge boost.
We’re not talking about the Cooper Kupp of 2021, when he turned in one of the greatest years a receiver has ever had. Kupp has only played in 33 games over the three seasons, but his production has remained excellent. Projected over 17 games, Kupp is still producing at a 100-catch, 1,000-yard rate per year.
If he can come close to that in Klint Kubiak’s offense this year, Seattle’s offense will be dynamic. Alongside Jaxon Smith-Njigba, the Hawks will have two savvy, accomplished route runners who can line up anywhere. In his prime, Kupp could play outside as an X-receiver. He projects more as a big slot receiver now.
Smith-Njigba will transition from the slot role he often played last year to more of a classic X this year. But those positions are very fungible. In two-tight end sets, which the Seahawks may employ often, either could set up outside and off the line. When a deep threat like Marquez Valdes-Scantling or Tory Horton comes on the field, either Kupp or Smith-Njigba can shift inside to the slot.
The key is that Seattle will have two receivers who know how to get open running from a variety of set-ups and who understand how to beat both man and zone coverage. If they can develop a rhythm with Sam Darnold, Kubiak will keep defenses off balance by having either Kupp or Smith-Njigba finding gaps in underneath zones while the other looks for weak links or mistakes to exploit deep.
Kubiak may well run similar games with his tight ends, with either Noah Fant or rookie Elijah Arroyo looking to run seams while A.J. Barner becomes a safe option on short crosses or in the flat.
But this two-man game on the outside with Kupp and Smith-Njigba is going to be crucial. If they can convert big plays, it allows Kubiak to keep two tight ends on the field more, which helps the run game and helps pass protection.
In today’s NFL, three-wideout packages have become fairly common, even for teams that like to run the ball. Mike Macdonald saw firsthand how Baltimore has struggled at key moments because of a lack of skill at the receiver position. The Ravens like to run the ball. They use a fullback. They use two tight end sets. And they have one of the best quarterbacks in all of football.
But that has not been enough in big games, in part because they have not been able to exploit other teams on the outside for chunk plays. If Seattle wants Robbie Ouzts or Brady Russell on the field a lot this year – or if they want Barner and Arroyo (or Fant) lining up together, they need big play production from the two receivers who figure to also be on the field.
That begins with a healthy Cooper Kupp. At this very early stage, that plan seems to be progressing very nicely.