Seattle Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf injured his knee in Week 7 versus the Atlanta Falcons. What wasn't known was what kind of injury he had. After having tests run on Monday, the team learned that Metcalf had suffered a Grad 1 MCI sprain. He is in danger of missing Week 8 versus the Buffalo Bills.
Seattle, like most teams, does not have a receiver quite like Metcalf. He is able to take the top off a defense consistently and that threat is something opposing teams have to account for. Without him, Seattle might have to go with a shorter passing game, and that might allow teams to play closer to the line, which would further limit a somewhat struggling Seahawks rushing attack.
One player not listed below as needing to step up should Metcalf miss time is Tyler Lockett. 12s can assume Lockett will be productive, if not exactly explosive. He will pick up first downs but will rarely be the deep threat he once was. That means other receivers besides Lockett and Metcalf need to play extremely well.
Three Seattle Seahawks who need to be more productive should DK Metcalf miss time with an injury
Jake Bobo
One of Metcalf's more underrated parts of his game is to use his size and strength to block defenders. Bobo is capable of doing the same, but he might also have to do so with more reps. This could spring a splash play, the kind Seattle will need to have against the Buffalo Bills.
Bobo also has good size, though. Enough where he should be a red-zone threat, and has been a few times in his two-year career. He needs to prove to Geno Smith that Smith can trust him, though. There seemed to be an issue in Week 7 when Bobo was open but did not cut off his route and Smith threw the ball to where he thought Bobo would stop.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba
JSN is having an odd year. He is 10th in the NFL in catches with 37, but he is 39th in receiving yards with 319. Even worse, he is 108th in yards per catch at 8.6. He averaged 10 yards a catch last year. He has reliable hands, but he either hasn't shown he can get open even on intermediate routes or there is a disconnect between the receiver and Geno Smith.
Smith has no trouble throwing downfield. He throws one of the better deep passes in the league. So why isn't he hitting JSN deep?
That needs to change in Week 8. In fact, should Smith-Njigba get open a few times past twenty yards that might shock a defense and open up more room for running backs Kenneth Walker III and Zach Charbonnet. Someone needs to be a deep threat for Smith. It might as well be JSN.
Noah Fant
Having Fant listed here might be cheating a bit, but not really. He is more of a receiver than a blocking tight end. He has also mostly been underused since he came to Seattle in the Russell Wilson trade in 2022. But things might be changing a bit.
In the last two weeks, he has had his highest number of receiving yards in a game since Week 9 of 2022. He still needs to be targeted more, but he is also beginning to do more with his catches. In Week 7, he had four catches and averaged 16.3 yards a catch. Seattle needs him to maintain that kind of production if Metcalf cannot play.
The Seahawks also need to find a way for Fant to be a red-zone threat. He has not scored a touchdown since 2022, but he has the size and athleticism to beat defenders.