DK Metcalf Has Arrived for the Seattle Seahawks

DK Metcalf has arrived and the Seattle Seahawks may have finally found Russell Wilson a top-flight wide receiver.

The Seahawks took a gamble on Metcalf in the 2019 NFL Draft, as they spent a second-round pick on the physical specimen out of Ole Miss. Metcalf was enormous, ripped and had all the physical tools a team could want from a wide receiver, but he was incredibly raw and had injury issues.

Despite being 6-foot-4 and 228 pounds, with the ability to run a 4.33 40-yard dash, throw up 27 bench press reps and bust out a 40.5-inch vertical, Metcalf lasted until the 64th pick in the 2019 draft. He never caught more than 39 passes in a season at Ole Miss and his 2018 season ended after seven games thanks to a neck injury. He only caught 67 passes in his entire college career. So yeah, despite the obvious physical talent, he was a big-time risk.

That gamble has paid off for Seattle, as Metcalf has turned in stellar performances over the last two months. That continued in a career-best showing during the Wild Card round on Sunday. Metcalf finished the game with seven catches for 160 yards and a touchdown to help the Seahawks outlast the Philadelphia Eagles 17-9. Those 160 yards were the most by a rookie in a playoff game in NFL history.

The young receiver also made several huge plays on Sunday, including a 53-yard touchdown reception:

Metcalf's season turned around on November 3 during a Week 9 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He caught six passes for 123 yards and a touchdown and his season rolled on after that. Starting with that Week 9 game and tracking through this weekend, Metcalf has caught 42 passes for 658 yards and four touchdowns. He's averaging 15.7 yards per reception and has been a beast after the catch and as a blocker.

The massive wideout is certainly not a finished product but he's light-years better than he was at the beginning of the season. He'll only continue to get better and already has the makings of an elite wideout.

Wilson has never had a legitimate top-tier receiver. The closest guy to that description he's played with his Doug Baldwin, who no one would confuse with one of the NFL's elite wideouts. Metcalf has the potential to be that kind of guy and he will only make Wilson that much more dangerous.