When the Seattle Seahawks traded wide receiver DK Metcalf this past offseason, many thought any high-level success for Jaxon Smith-Njigba wouldn't exist. After all, with no Metcalf, defenses could focus mostly on JSN, and he was neither big enough nor fast enough to be extremely productive.
That certainly hasn't been the case. Smith-Njigba leads the league in receiving yards and has been nearly unstoppable except for Week 13, when he wasn't targeted as much. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is likely a First-Team All-Pro in 2025, but he could still use some help.
Other Seahawks receivers have their flaws. Cooper Kupp is great in the locker room, but he is older and far less explosive than he once was. Rashid Shaheed has yet to be fully immersed in Seattle's offensive game plan. Rookie Tory Horton has missed a few games with an injury and has no real timeline for his return.
One mock draft has the Seattle Seahawks choosing wide receiver Chris Bell in the first round of the 2026 draft
Moreover, even counting Horton, Seattle needs to rebuild its receiver group to get bigger, younger, and more explosive. The Athletic has a good idea how to remedy the problem, too. In place of DK Metcalf, who has underperformed in his first season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle would choose Louisville wide receiver Chris Bell in the first round.
Bell is 6'2" and 225 pounds and fast. He never had a season over 1,000 yards in college (he has a chance to get there in Louisville's bowl game, assuming Bell plays and doesn't opt out). But he has been more productive in every season. His best is in 2025 with 917 receiving yards and 72 catches.
Almost certainly, he will be a better professional than he was in college simply because he will be in a better system where he can make the most of his skills. Size and speed are assets even in the NFL, and he would have an immediate opportunity to succeed in 2026 playing opposite JSN.
While the Seattle Seahawks will have immediate needs to fill in the draft, wide receiver is absolutely one of them. Cornerback might be another, and the interior of the offensive line (specifically, right guard) would be another.
But Seattle cannot continue to move forward with Kupp as a long-term option simply because of his age and injury history. Horton also has an injury history. Shaheed might not re-sign with the Seahawks, and has never been an amazingly productive threat.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba will likely be a long-term wide receiver for the Seahawks, but he needs another long-time receiver to take the attention off him. Chris Bell could do that. He just has to be around in the draft, assuming Seattle chooses late in the 20s of the first round.