4 Ways Seahawks WR DK Metcalf Can Take Game to Next Level in 2020
Following a stellar rookie campaign, Seahawks receiver DK Metcalf will be looking to take a major step forward in his development as he enters his sophomore season in 2020.
Despite starting in 15 of Seattle’s 16 regular season games and producing 58 catches for 900 yards along with seven touchdowns, there are still plenty of areas where Metcalf can improve his game. Most importantly, the second-year pro will also need to remain healthy after dealing with injuries at Ole Miss.
Starting with his most surprising statistic from this past season, Metcalf found success against most teams during his rookie campaign but struggled mightily in two games against Arizona. In total, the 22-year old played 82 percent of the offensive snaps and caught just one of five targets for six yards in two games against them.
Unfortunately for Metcalf, he won’t be able to hide from the NFC West rival Cardinals in 2020, as the Seahawks face off against them in Week 6 and Week 10. With playoffs expanding to seven teams in each conference starting next season, there’s also a slim chance the two teams could meet a third time in the playoffs.
Considering aspects of his game he can improve, Metcalf must resolve ball security issues that plagued him. On three separate occasions, the athletic receiver fumbled the ball after completing a catch, allowing the Ravens and Vikings to score after two of those untimely turnovers.
Among all receivers with at least 80 targets, Metcalf finished tied with the most fumbles lost and the second-most fumbles during the 2019 campaign, according to Sports-Info-Solutions.com. Moving forward, the young pass catcher will need to work on protecting the ball more effectively.
With that said, Metcalf’s woes with the football didn’t stop at coughing the ball up after the catch, as he also struggled with drops at times last season.
Of his 74 catchable targets, the former Ole Miss standout had seven passes from star quarterback Russell Wilson slip through his hands. As a result, Metcalf finished tied with the fourth-most drops (seven) along with the 12th-lowest catch rate (58.0 percent) among all receivers who received at least 80 targets in 2019.
With Metcalf attempting to improve his hands this offseason, positional flexibility coudl also help him create better separation against coverage next season. In 2019, the youngster finished tied with the fifth-fewest average yards of cushion (4.9) and the seventh-lowest average yards of separation (2.5) among all receivers with at least 43 targets, according to Next-Gen-Stats.com.
Earlier this offseason, offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer revealed that Seattle’s coaching staff has discussed moving Metcalf around the field and utilizing him at different spots in 2020, specifically in the slot. If this occurs, the Mississippi native would likely be able to showcase his impressive quickness at 228 pounds and become a matchup nightmare in the middle of the field.
While the Seahawks have strengthened their receiver corps this spring by drafting Freddie Swain and Stephen Sullivan along with signing Phillip Dorsett to team up with Tyler Lockett, a large part of the team’s success in the passing game will likely be determined by Metcalf’s performance in 2020.
By making the aforementioned adjustments in year two, the towering receiver would be able to develop into a more polished and fundamentally sound player at an early stage in his career, making him a potential Pro Bowler. These changes could also help him improve his connection with Wilson, providing Seattle with a lethal one-two punch featuring Lockett and Metcalf next season.
