Analysis: Seahawks Nab Late-Round Versatility in Bo Melton, Dareke Young
After spending the bulk of their draft capital in the first five rounds of the 2022 NFL Draft shoring up their offensive line, pass rush, and secondary, the Seahawks capped off their draft class by adding receiver depth in the seventh round by using picks 229 and 233 to select Rutgers standout Bo Melton and Lenoir-Rhyne's Dareke Young.
By the seventh round, even in a draft as deep as this year's, NFL teams look for diamonds in the rough with traits that give them a chance to compete for a roster spot, particularly on special teams. In the case of Melton and Young, both players check off that box with elite athleticism, positional versatility, and notable special teams experience.
Melton, whose mother played college basketball at Rutgers, followed her footsteps to New Brunswick, New Jersey to play for the Scarlet Knights. Despite playing in a run-first offense with subpar quarterback play, he produced 600 or more receiving yards in each of his final two collegiate seasons and contributed 165 rushing yards during his time with the program, earning himself a spot in the Senior Bowl.
One of the fastest receivers in this year's draft, the 5-foot-11, 189-pound Melton ran a 4.34 40-yard dash at the NFL combine and also posted an impressive 6.98 3-cone drill and 38-inch vertical jump. Those attributes didn't always show up on his film, however, as he never emerged as a consistent vertical threat at Rutgers and struggled to reel in contested catches in traffic.
Nonetheless, Melton proved to be at his best in the quick passing game when he was able to create with the football in his hands and he's an efficient route runner who understands how to create leverage against defenders in coverage. On the few opportunities where he did strike on deep balls, he showcased quality tracking skills seeing the football into his hands and could develop in that area simply by playing with a better quarterback.
Moving all over the formation at Rutgers, Melton played out of the backfield, in the slot, and at both the X and Y spots on the outside. He also returned punts during his final two seasons, but he dropped several punts at the Senior Bowl and will have to make drastic improvements in that regard to be an impact returner on special teams for Seattle.
As for Young, a broken leg suffered during his senior season of high school led to minimal interest from schools as a recruit and he wound up at Lenoir-Rhyne, a Division II school in Hickory, North Carolina. His career was constantly interrupted, whether it was losing his entire 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic or missing a portion of the 2021 season with an MCL sprain.
But when healthy, Young factored into the Bears' offense in a variety of ways. As a sophomore, he functioned like Deebo Samuel of the 49ers running the ball often in a modernized Wing-T formation. He transitioned back to receiver full time after that point while contributing in all phases of special teams and as a senior, he caught 25 passes for 303 yards and four touchdowns.
Possessing outstanding size at 6-foot-3, 220 pounds, Young lit up his pre-draft workout running a 4.44 40-yard dash and running the 3-cone drill in 6.88 seconds. He's not a polished route runner at this point and will face a stiff jump in competition, but his raw talent and ability to do damage as a runner, receiver, and special teams offers plenty of intrigue.
As is the case for any seventh rounder, there's no guarantee Melton or Young will make the Seahawks roster out of camp in August as they prepare to compete in a loaded receiving corps headlined by DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. But with both players capable of doing damage as runners, receivers, and returners, they should have legitimate opportunities to earn a roster spot and at worst, they could be fun developmental practice squad candidates.
