Seahawks Hope Success Drafting Receivers on Day 2 Continues With D'Wayne Eskridge
When the current Seahawks regime of general manager John Schneider and coach Pete Carroll took over ahead of the 2010 draft, they had their work cut out for them. The franchise had just finished a 5-11 campaign in 2009 and had an aging quarterback in Matt Hasselbeck that clearly was past his prime leading an offense that ranked 25th in the NFL.
That first draft, they selected a stocky receiver out of Notre Dame, Golden Tate, in the second round. He ended up playing four seasons for the Seahawks, including their Super Bowl-winning campaign of 2013, when he racked up 898 yards and five touchdowns. Overall, he finished his Seahawks career with 165 catches for 2,195 yards and 15 touchdowns and was an intricate part of the successful teams of 2012 and 2013.
Four years after selecting Tate, Seattle took a chance on Colorado's stud receiver, Paul Richardson in the second round of the 2014 draft. While he didn't have the same sustained success as others on this list, Richardson broke out in 2017 with 703 receiving yards and six touchdowns. He collected 1,302 yards in four seasons with the team, performing well when he wasn't battling a variety of injuries.
A year later, Seattle's leadership made one of the best selections they have made at any position. In the 2015 draft, they traded up and took Kansas State's Tyler Lockett in the third round, once again hitting on a day two selection.
Over the last six seasons, Lockett has established himself as the best receiver of the Schneider/Carroll era as of now. In his rookie year, he became a Pro Bowler and first team All-Pro as a special teams player, returning both a punt and kickoff for touchdowns. In 2019 and 2020, he put together back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons with 18 touchdowns in that span. Last year, he broke the franchise single-season record with 100 receptions.
Lockett's quickness and precise route running separate himself as one of the most consistent receivers in the NFL. The Seahawks certainly found a gem in the third round that year and with a new contract in two, he's set to terrorize defenses for several more seasons.
This leads to Seattle's final day two selection at receiver prior to 2021. DK Metcalf set the world ablaze at the NFL combine with his chiseled physique and other-worldly athleticism. Despite receiving numerous first-round grades, he fell all the way to the end of the second round and right into Seattle's collective lap at pick No. 64.
Seattle's brass pulled the trigger to trade up and selected the Ole Miss wideout. Ever since receiving that fateful phone call from Schneider and Carroll, he hit the ground running and he hasn't stopped yet.
The 6-foot-4 receiver turned in as solid a first two years as any receiver in Seahawks franchise history. After a strong showing in his rookie year with 900 yards and seven touchdowns, Metcalf established himself as one of the best receivers in the entire NFL in 2020. He broke Steve Largent's franchise single-season record with 1,303 receiving yards and added 10 touchdowns. His Avengers-like strength and speed led to numerous tweets, GIFs, memes and endless highlight reels throughout the season, eventually leading to his first Pro Bowl nod.
Not bad for a day two pick.
Now, after Tate, Richardson, Lockett and Metcalf, the Seahawks hope they struck gold again with Western Michigan wideout D'Wayne Eskridge. Seattle took him 56th overall, making him the fifth receiver this regime has selected on day two of the draft. They have high hopes for the 5-foot-9 pass-catcher.
“He’ll be a well-rounded player. We like that kind of versatility," Carroll said.
Will Eskridge join the ranks of Lockett and Metcalf as Pro Bowl receivers that Seattle found on day two of the NFL Draft? Only time will tell. For now, Seattle's star quarterback seems to be enthused by the selection and the possibilities he brings adding another dynamic weapon to the aerial attack.
