Seahawks underwhelming options at wide receiver to fill DK Metcalf-sized void

The Seattle Seahawks made a lot of moves on the offensive side of the ball this past offseason. The hope is that the players brought in to replace some excellent players leaving are going to be great fits in the new offensive scheme. One week into the season, and we don't know the answer yet.

At least, we hope we don't know the answer. If things continue as they did against the San Francisco 49ers, the season is doomed. Jaxon Smith-Njigba was mostly fantastic (he did have a costly fumble), but the rest of the receivers were invisible.

This includes veteran Cooper Kupp, whom Seattle signed this offseason. He caught two passes and had a bad drop. JSN could get open, and Kupp could not. That doesn't seem likely to change. Kupp has never been about pure speed, but smarts, and any loss of quickness is going to cripple his game.

The Seattle Seahawks have a DK Metcalf-sized hole to fill

Meanwhile, DK Metcalf, the 6'4" and fast receiver that the Seahawks traded this offseason, was pretty good in his debut with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He caught four passes for 83 yards, with a long of 31. That last part might be the most important.

While JSN has the savvy and quickness to find holes in a defense and get yards, Seattle has no other current receiver who appears consistently capable of that. This means that defenses should have a greater and greater focus on Smith-Njigba, which will test the quality of the rest of the group.

Kupp might be OK, but nothing like he was in 2021 with the Los Angeles Rams when he had 145 catches for nearly 2,000 yards receiving. He is probably going to help the team in small ways, such as blocking, if he stays healthy, but he might not be overly productive as a receiver.

Without DK Metcalf drawing attention away from Jaxon Smith-Njigba, quarterback Sam Darnold might see tighter windows to pass through. The offense will be limited.

But what are Seattle's options to help Darnold, offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak, and JSN? Not much. No wide receiver free agents remaining really stand out. Making a trade for a wide receiver could be an option, but an unlikely one. The Seahawks don't need to try to make a move for Tyreek Hill, for instance, as he has so many off-field issues.

In other words, Cooper Kupp will need to be better. So will rookie Tory Horton, who wasn't targeted in Week 1. The tight end group was mostly invisible.

To make matters worse, in Week 2, the Seattle Seahawks will be watching DK Metcalf play against them. Seattle might be watching their past score a touchdown or two while their present appears incapable of doing so.