D.K. Metcalf Was a Draft-Day Steal for the Seattle Seahawks
When Mississippi wide receiver D.K. Metcalf ran a 4.33-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Combine -- while standing 6'3" and weighing 228 pounds -- he seemed close to a first-round lock in the upcoming NFL Draft.
But that's not what happened.
It took until the final pick in the second round before Metcalf's name was called and he was drafted by the Seattle Seahawks.
Ranked by some as the top wide receiver prospect in the class, Metcalf could be considered a draft-day steal for Seattle, and the opportunity he has could lead to immediate production.
Metcalf's Background
Metcalf enters the NFL with arguably the most exciting size-adjusted speed since Calvin Johnson. Again, that 4.33-second 40-yard dash at his size grades out in the 99th percentile in size-adjusted speed, via PlayerProfiler.
However, despite the impressive straight-line speed, Metcalf showed concern in the agility drills. The Ole Miss-product recorded a 4.5-second short shuttle (second-percentile) and a 7.38-second three-cone (third-percentile) per MockDraftable. Combined with a limited vertical route tree, Metcalf's poor agility scores present concerns in the intermediate range of the field at the NFL level.
In addition to the mixed athletic testing, Metcalf never recorded more than 659 receiving yards in a single season at Ole Miss. Some of the production concerns can be attributed to injury after Metcalf missed half of 2018 with a frightening neck injury, but in a healthy 2017, Metcalf's 659 receiving yards still finished behind teammates A.J. Brown (1,252) and DaMarkus Lodge (698).
On the plus side, Metcalf produced at a young age, breaking out at the age of 19.7 (72nd-percentile), despite taking a medical red-shirt as a freshman with a foot injury.
What to Expect
Even with a draft-day slide, Metcalf should contribute early as a member of the Seahawks. Doug Baldwin's injuries remain a concern after a slew of off-season surgeries, leaving Metcalf, Tyler Lockett, and David Moore to battle for snaps and targets from the hyper-efficient Russell Wilson.
Potentially playing a field-stretching role, Metcalf could be boom-or-bust on a weekly basis.
numberFire's editor-in-chief, JJ Zachariason, initially projects Metcalf for 59.1 targets, 37.8 receptions, 479.3 yards, and 3.6 touchdowns as a rookie.
