It came as no surprise when John Schneider traded backup quarterback Sam Howell early in the fifth round of the NFL draft on Saturday. By trading with Howell, the Seattle Seahawks' GM was able to move up about thirty spots and secure the 144th pick in the draft.
He then swapped that pick to Cleveland for picks 166 and 192. This will go down in draft history as the final piece of the Shedeur Sanders saga, as the Browns used the Seahawks' pick to take the Colorado QB
Meanwhile, Schneider used his next pick – number 166 – to grab Colorado State receiver Tory Horton. Judging by how quickly he made the selection, this was a player the Seahawks had long targeted.
Horton helps replenish a wide receiver room that saw two stalwarts – Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf leave this offseason. He joins newcomers Cooper Kupp and Marquez Valdes-Scantling and returning WR1 Jaxon Smith-Njigba to give Seattle a brand new look on the outside. With the earlier draft pick of tight end Elijah Arroyo, the Hawks have added a lot of youth and speed in one draft class.
Tory Horton fills a major need by providing youth and speed on the outside
An injury in his final year dropped Horton down on some draft boards. The 6’3” and 196-pound wideout boasts exceptional 4.41 speed. He was highly productive for the Rams. After cutting his teeth at Nevada, he put together two spectacular seasons in Colorado in 2022 and 2023, going for over a thousand yards in each. Even with his abbreviated 2024, he was rated by many scouts as a third or fourth-round talent.
For Seattle, he should provide another option alongside MVS at the Z. He has the dynamic playmaking ability to make big plays as both a receiver and a kick returner. The biggest knock on his pro prospects, along with natural concerns about his return from injury, is his thin frame. Letting him have a year of development behind Seattle’s veterans should serve him very well.
If Horton can get stronger and adjust to the physicality of pro cornerbacks, he is primed to step right into Valdes-Scantling’s role in 2026. That doesn’t mean he can’t make contributions this season as a punt returner and on specialty plays. But this is a pick for the future.
If it works out – and Colorado State has a good track record putting receivers into the NFL, including Arizona tight end Trey McBride – Seattle could be well-positioned with JSN at X and Tory Horton at Z. That would make for a very strong young corps. Not bad for a flipped pick late in the fifth round.