The Seattle Seahawks have one of the most electrifying wide receiver corps in the game. Jaxon Smith-Njigba is a versatile superstar who can win with speed or route-running; Rashid Shaheed is the ultimate speedster, and Cooper Kupp is a savvy and crisp route-runner with steady hands.
However, they're not the only playmakers in Seattle. Tory Horton showed strong flashes in his rookie season, and he's back to full strength, making plays after missing spring workouts while recovering from a fractured leg.
Horton has been one of the biggest winners of the first days of training camp, even hauling in two touchdowns in consecutive 11-on-11 drills, one from Sam Darnold and one from Drew Lock, who later gushed about his strong return from injury.
The Seattle Seahawks must find a way to get Tory Horton on the field
"He came back confident. He's been making plays for us out here and flying around," Lock told Seattle Sports.
Horton is a legitimate threat to push for an expanded role after playing sparingly but efficiently as a rookie. He only needed 13 receptions to log 161 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns last season, and failing to make the most of his speed and craftiness would be poor roster management.
A former fifth-round pick, he looked like an absolute steal through the first eight weeks of the season. Now, with Kupp getting older, Mike Macdonald and offensive coordinator Brian Fleury should slowly but steadily increase his workload as the first guy off the bench, assuming he's healthy.
Also, the Seahawks gave Shaheed a three-year, $51 million deal in free agency. As such, they should want him to stay out of harm's way, so they might want Horton to handle most of the returning duties. He set a franchise record with a 95-yard punt return for a touchdown last season, so the potential is clearly there.
This will remain Smith-Njigba's team until further notice. He'll be on the field for as many snaps as he can handle, with Shaheed as the likely WR2. Regardless, Horton is ready to pick up things where he left them as a rookie, and while you can never have too many playmakers, that's definitely a great problem to have if you're the Seahawks.
Some criticized the Seahawks' offseason approach, as they prioritized retaining most of their core over bringing in outsiders. That doesn't mean they won't get a premium reinforcement to help them defend their title.
Of course, the team must continue to keep a close eye on his workload and his reps. He also suffered a major injury in college, and while he claimed he could've played through the discomfort or even returned at some point in the offseason last year, this could be a chronic issue or a major concern going forward.
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