The Seattle Seahawks have had eight weeks of spectacular success in the passing game. Unfortunately, that's only been true for one receiver: the otherworldly Jaxon Smith-Njigba. For the Seahawks to get to the postseason, they need another top target. Here are three of the best options.
JSN leads the NFL in receiving yards and touchdown catches, and it isn't by a little. CeeDee Lamb is second in both categories, and he's 276 yards and three TDs behind him. That's fantastic; we can all agree on that. The problem is that the rest of the entire Seahawks team is 56 yards behind JSN. That's not just the wideouts, but as Gary Oldman roared in The Professional, "EVERYONE!!!"
There are no guarantees that adding a new target will solve the problem. Combined, Sam Darnold and Drew Lock (and JSN, once) have thrown 160 passes to guys without a three-letter nickname. 99 of those were completed. That isn't great (62 percent), but it's better than Shaheed and Horton's combined rate, just 52 percent. So maybe one of these guys could be the difference.
Seattle Seahawks need one of these three WRs to up their game
The real issue is the Seahawks' abysmal record on third down and in the red zone. Seattle is converting just under 36 percent of their third downs; that's 27th in the league. They're barely scoring touchdowns 46 percent of the time in the red zone, and that's 29th. In 2025, they ranked 16th and 21st. Not great, but not a candidate for Waste Management, either. Speaking of...how's DK doing?
All three of these receivers possess the size and skills to turn the Seahawks' red zone scheme around. All three are reportedly being actively shopped by their teams, despite their talent. And all three will fit comfortably under Seattle's salary cap this season. So, let's see who John Schneider might nab. I'd take Aiyuk, too, but I'd prefer one of these guys,
Rashod Bateman, Ravens
Bateman is a solid choice in several respects. Baltimore is last in their division at 4-5, and with Lamar Jackson out for weeks, they're not going anywhere. At 6'1 and 193, he runs crisp routes and is a solid third-down target. A fifth-round pick should land him. He'd cost just over $1 million this year, but he has nearly $31 million left over the next three years. That's a lot for a number two receiver.
Jalen Tolbert, Dolphins
Tolbert is a better choice overall. He's virtually the same size as Bateman, but is a better blocker and has been more effective in the red zone. He's fallen out of favor in Miami, but on that train wreck, who hasn't? He's only scored 10 TDs in his career, but nine have come inside the 20. Seattle can likely get him for a sixth-round pick and pay just $660K through this season. He's a free agent in 2027.
Brian Thomas, Jaguars
Here's the real prize. 6'2" and 209, he's easily the most imposing of the three. He'd give the Seahawks the size at the position they've been missing since Jake Bobo was lost for the year. A beast in the red zone, he's scored on nearly 80 percent of his targets inside the 20 over his career. Last season, he moved the chains on 69 percent of his catches. That's even better than JSN last year (66 percent).
So why on earth would Jacksonville let this guy go if he's so great? Simply put, he's fallen down the depth chart. Last year he was second in targets with 91. This season, he's dropped to just 22 at the halfway mark. Guys fall out of favor. But he's still just 24 and made the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2024. Seattle would owe him just $540 K this year. The only issue with Thomas is what it will take to get him,
The Jaguars are 6-2 and practically on cruise control in the weak AFC South. They've definitely moved on to Jakobi Myers and Parker Washington as their main wideouts. But they don't really need to move Thomas; reportedly, they already turned down a fourth-round offer from the Rams. So it might take a third and sixth, or even more, to swing the deal.
Still on his rookie contract, the Seahawks would have him under contract through 2028. This is the one guy who can fix Seattle's issues on third down and in the red zone. Thomas wouldn't be a band-aid; he'd be the cure.
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